Blue-Flowered Borage

Borage has volunteered in my back-door garden for years, but this year, a dozen plants stand strong. When i walk out the back door, i pluck a beautiful blue flower and pop it into my mouth. The cucumber-tasting flowers can be used in salads. The leaves can be used too, but they are a bit fuzzy for my taste.

Borage is a good companion plant for spinach, the brassicas, and strawberries. Planted near tomatoes, borage confuses the tomato hornworm when she is looking for a place to lay her eggs.

Our meditating friends, our sangha, are our meditation companions, and we should plant ourselves among these companions as often as possible. The Buddha extolled the value of spiritual friends. When we are confused, our spiritual friends keep us on our spiritual path.

I'm feeling pretty friendly toward borage--beautiful alone and helpful to its neighbors.