True Blue

  Last spring, I planted a lot of herb seeds that Darling Daughter bought for me as a birthday gift.  Sadly, many did not make it to maturity.  It seemed that a lot of critters loved to munch herbs.  One of the herbs was Borage.  The seeds sprouted grew to about 3 inches in height then the caterpillars munched them to the ground before I even noticed they were there.  I was heartbroken but kept busy tending the other plants.  This past fall, I planted hundreds of cabbage and other winter crops.  When I ran out of garden space, I planted a few in the planter boxes that had held the herbs.  I never thought any more of my disappearing Borage.  Well, the cabbages did well in the boxes but there was one "fuzzy" plant that outdid them.  I was not sure what seed had gotten mixed in the batch but it was healthy and seemed to be cold hardy, so I left it.

  Now, the cabbages are gone but that fuzzy plant is still growing!  I was delighted to see it had buds this past week as then I would be able to identify it. Yep, it is Borage.  For some odd reason, a single seed did not sprout until midwinter!  Needless to say, I am delighted with my single Borage plant and even happier to see that more seeds have sprouted!  Nigh on a year after being put in the ground, the plants are making an appearance.  

  Seeing the lovely blooms on the Borage plant, it would be fine by me if the entire hillside was covered with these plants!  The blooms are blue!  Not the purple that every one claims as blue in flowers but TRUE BLUE!  I find it odd that true blue flowers are hard to find but they truly are.  Borage fits that bill rather nicely!  They may be slow in sprouting but, once they do, these plants grow into a sturdy plant with plenty of buds.  I am smiling!