Kitchen Garden Forum

I bought a little borage plant from a farmer's market the other day (seduced by thoughts of the blue flowers in Pimms and ice cubes), but have since realised that it's an annual and am not sure what to do with it... if I plant it out now I'm assuming it will die over the winter. Should I pot it on a bit and keep it in the greenhouse over winter to plant out for early flowers in spring?

Hello, bigpepperplant, unless your greenhouse is heated, I don't think your borage plant will survive the winter never mind flower. I would cut my losses and buy a packet of seeds next year. You'll never have to buy any more because borage seeds itself all over place every year!

Borage is an annual but might get through the winter inside and flower in spring if it is just a seedling you've bought.

They grow huge though, and as Monika says seed everywhere, so you might be better starting afresh next year.

Well I don't know if I have the same variety of Borage as you. but the one planted out in our (reasonably sheltered) garden some time ago has re-grown and flowered on each of the last 2 years. It gets no pampering during the winter.

Unfortunately I've never got round to buying any ice cube trays (we seem to only have those pesky plastic bags for cubes). However the bees love the flowers!