Blue Skies

We've had fair weather and blue skies this week and I'm reminded how soothing it is just to look at the sky and the clouds drifting by. I've been in need of calm and fresh air .. so here is a little post dedicated to cool, blue, fresh air and calming skies.



Vervain just coming into flower, silhouetted against the summer sky.



Sky-blue borage blooms against slate roof tiles.

Garden Update

I was excited today, to discover that my mini-growhouse is working!!!

You remember my 3 heritage dwarf beans ? Well here they are in the growhouse, reaching for the sky...

Its had something of an initiation ordeal, as the weekend I assembled it, it got snowed on and then on Friday it had a fairly decent storm to contend with. Spurred on by its success, I've put my Brandywine tomato seedlings in there as well today. And I don't think I've shown you my sunflowers...










I sorted out my coldframe too, today, by removing all the paraphenalia I'd been storing in it and actually clearing some space for plants. Here are the first batch of herb seedlings awaiting transport from the kitchen to the coldframe on the roof..


















... there are dill, borage, clary sage, marigold .. and some sweetpeas, which I adore, and will be a surprise as a friend collected the seed so I've no idea what colour they'll be.

Forgive my over-enthusiasm .. I'm still new to raising plants from seed and so whenever something grows, I'm afraid I'm just an overgrown child jumping about with glee!

Berry Go Round

I've been featured in my first blog carnival.. very exciting!

Berry Go Round is a monthly carnival of posts about plants and the latest edition is here at Greg Laden's blog

NB: there is a wonderful post on Nettles, for all you herb and weed lovers out there..

Borage

Borage (Borago officinalis) has a long historical reputation for making the heart merry and dispelling melancholy, called ‘Euphrosium’ by Pliny due to its euphoric effect and famous for the quote ‘I, borage, bring always courage’. However, its name probably derives from the Latin ‘burra’ meaning ‘hairy garment’ – which aptly describes its furry buds and leaves. In the 19th century the young tops were boiled as a pot-herb and the flowers were preserved and candied.

Borage is used medicinally for fevers and externally to poultice inflammatory swellings and treat dry skin conditions. The oil from the seeds is very useful in premenstrual syndrome and can be taken daily in capsules for eczema. Borage can be used as a tonic for stress . It stimulates milk flow and the adrenal glands, soothes damaged or irritated tissues and the oil lowers blood pressure.

A cooling, saline, diuretic herb with mild sedative and anti-depressant effects.

CAUTION: Do not consume large or regular amounts of the foliage.

Gather leaves in the spring or summer as the plant begins to flower.

Benefits strawberries as a companion plant. Attracts bees.


PLEASE NOTE: These notes on the history and use of herbs have been compiled for general interest and are not intended as medical advice, for which you should consult a professional herbalist.

BIBLIOGRAPY:
'A Modern Herbal' Mrs M. Grieve FRHS ed. Mrs C. F. Leyel (1973)
'The Herb Society's Complete Medicinal Herbal' Penelope Ody MNIMH (1993)
'RHS Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses' Deni Brown (2002)