Hi, may I suggest you put the names of the plants in written form in your video for people who don't know these plants and their names please? Or put it in the description below. Thank you! Great video.
I wasn’t familiar with borage or comfrey. Will definitely look into these. Thank you! I listed out the crops in case anyone needs them listed! 1. Borage 2. Comfrey 3. Nasturtium 4. Mint (different varieties) 5. Strawberries 6. Coriander/Cilantro
I'd love to add calendula to this wonderful list. I've found it a hardy plant, returns every year, brings a pop of colour to the garden, attracts the pollinators and some calendula are edible, or have healing properties. Fabulous to grow!
“Prolific” is exactly the word I’ve used to describe borage. When i grow them inside during the winter, some of my best producers gave me 2-3K flowers. I counted each plant’s flower production last winter to see if blue borage or white borage produced better. I stopped growing nasturtium and almost no viola because borage is almost the perfect edible flower for restaurant plate presentation. Bee magnets, beautiful star shaped petals, quick to seed, almost the perfect plant for gardens.
In addition to using the Comfrey for mulch and Comfrey Tea to enrich the garden beds, I also make Comfrey Salve which is excellent for insect bites, burns, scrapes, etc. Comfrey is so versatile.
Nasturtiums (and mustard, also a pollinator favorite) also attract cabbage white butterflies, if you're growing anything along the lines of kale, cabbage, sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli... plant nasturtiums for the butterflies to lay their eggs on so your crops won't get eaten.
I'm surprised that you didn't mention that borage leaves are also edible! In northwestern Italy we stuff traditional ravioli with it and ricotta cheese. You need to try those out!
As they contain a lot of iron it is advised, as with other iron rich green veg, you only eat it once or twice a week. But then dont eat nettles or spinach in between either. Too much iron is not good. Look it up. Esp keep iron tablets away from small children. They do look like tasty sweets. An overdose can be fatal.
@@helenamcginty4920 sorry but that's quite inaccurate, borage has around 3 mg of iron per 100 grams, just like spinach, that means that in order to reach the recommended daily intake of 10-20 mg you would need to eat 350/700 grams of (fresh) borage or spinach per day. The problem with borage is rather the low concentration of toxins, which can be dangerous especially to pregnant women if consumed on a daily basis. Same goes for parsley. But even in this case it takes a really high quantity to have problems, so we shouldn't worry too much about it.
Comfrey is a very useful crop for "chop-and-drop" or for making nutrient teas. It used to be popular as an addition to the table, but that is now strongly cautioned against due to concerns that the alkaloids it contains may be carcinogenic. In our experience, we had hens which had been routinely fed comfrey leaves as part of their normal diet. When butchered for the table these were found to have a worrying number of tumours present, which seems to support the caution against eating comfrey. Worth bearing in mind if someone is considering adding comfrey to the menu.
good point, i'd read something along those lines as well: "Comfrey contains unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are hepatotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic" but, this brings up a question: if comfrey is used in chop and drop, or mulch, or compost, or comfrey fertilizer solution, do the alkaloids get passed along and taken up in the fertilized crops, or do they get broken down first?
@@michaelgusovsky I tried to find out if exposure to sunlight degrades pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). I couldn't find much, however, I did find some articles which were discussing the levels of PA found in milk from cows fed on silage which had contained plants high in PA such as comfrey. It seems that the fermentation process used to produce silage fodder does not remove PA and when fed to milk cows it then contaminates the milk. This is a particular problem if the milk is consumed by children as they are sensitive to PA poisoning. I can't find any information about PA being concentrated in food plants where plants such as comfrey have been used as a mulch. I would still be very cautious in regard to eating comfrey however.
There's a shit ton of those types of "studies". Also how it harms your liver... But one thing you failed to mention about the study is that they weren't done in human trials AND the animals were fed unrealistic ungodly amounts of comfrey... We've also fed comfrey to our animals for years. In eastern europe it's a staple crop for animals and fertilizer. No tumors. I think there's something else going on with your animals... You can also kill your animals by giving them ungodly amounts of water...
Let me suggest oregano as a ground cover, last all year, flowers are loved by bees, and if you have a flock , then add some on their water containers for the health benefits. My garden is being over run by oregano, so be careful
Oregano is extremely invasive. My fathers orchard is now dominated by it, through seed dispersal from a few flowers in his herb patch and it’s choked many other native plants out. There’s no getting rid of it.
mint and lemon balm are great cover crops and they’re also great place holders that keep unwanted weeds out, they keep moisture in the soil and they’re easy to pull up if you decide to plant that area eventually
Mint is magic! It’s so weird to me that people will spend thousands of dollars to grow and trim a lawn when people could just plant mint. Little by little I’m de-lawning my yard. 🙂
The problem with mint is that it gets much taller than a typical lawn, and when mowed short it does not feel soft to walk on, so it is no replacement for a lawn where you would want to play croquet or horseshoes. In place of a “traditional American Lawn”, clover is a better choice.
@@karenpeddicordbaranauskas3211 it might depend on your area…I have Lemon Balm mint that escaped captivity…I believe I would have to work very hard to kill it. It is all around my raised beds, where it is difficult to get a lawnmower. We weed whack it down to about 2” with no obvious harm to the plant. Cat mint is not nearly as invasive, and I accidentally killed my chocolate mint by trying to move it, it never really took off.
I’m doing really well with that. I just have a small area in the front yard that needs mowed and everything else’s occasional trimming or self sustaining
I bought a packet of red nasturtium seeds about 7 years ago, and with re-seeding, I now have them running wild all over a shady corner in early spring, and in clumps in another part of the yard where the seeds ended up mixed with the leaves I moved there for mulch. With all the rain we had in Southern California this year, they were stunning. I also have a patch of coriander/cilantro that grew from seeds getting mixed up with cuttings I used as mulch. My neighbor said when the breeze blows her way she can smell the spicy scent. I'm definitely going to try Borage and Comfrey to squeeze out the weeds in an area where I have a lot of hard clay. I keep spearmint in an urn planter near my back door, so it's easy to harvest for cooking. I need to figure something out to keep crows and raccoons from destroying my strawberries. Great suggestions. Thank you!
Our bees LOVE borrage and comfrey but the bumblebees much more, thank you I didn't realize their nectar replacement time, both mighty for compost. ☘ 💖🙏💫
Years ago before I knew much about gardening I worked very hard to eradicate the rampant borage in my garden. It's a bit ironic, considering how easily it reseeds, that I had to buy seeds to re-introduce it. I did too good a job! So glad I just contained the nasturtiums to a few spots rather than get rid of it.
I live in the mid-Atlantic states of North America where borage, common comfrey and European mint species are documented as invasive. Invasive plants often escape to takeover wild areas and are not readily recognized as food by fauna. Sometimes there are local equivalents - like Pycnanthemum virginianum- mountain mint which is native to my area and much better behaved in our gardens. A local native plant expert or agriculture university (in USA an agricultural extension office) can help advise substitutes. I’ll have to see if there is a good substitute for borage and common comfrey.
😅you could try creeping comfrey. It doesn't seed at all but creeps over the ground with shallow roots and is evergreen in my zone six garden. Mine is easily contained by a garden bed border some five inches tall
That doesn't stop local nursery's from selling them. :) Most if not all ivy's are extremely invasive and are horrid...but that too is being sold everywhere.
@@midnull6009 take that up with your local law makers if it bothers you. Invasive plants are in many countries sadly because humans thought they looked nice in the UK for example Japanese knot weed can totally devalue your home if it pops up in your garden its not legal to sell this is due to how impossible it is to irradicate and the damage it does. As for Lupins in scandinavia massive debate in the region about that.
Hi Huw, thanks for the great video! I always learn something from you. Here are some crops I grow with similar functions: Bronze/Golden Fennel (attracts beneficials, collect fennel seed, self seeds, sweet to chew on, perrenial if you let them.) Korean Mint (agastache rugosa) (deters pests, attracts bees, cats love it like catnip, self seeds) This plant could be too large for some gardens, but they are easy to pull up. Roman Chamomille (attracts beneficials, self seeds, smells good in the garden, perennial) Comfrey (green mulch, fertilizer, chicken feed) Marigolds (deters pests, self seeds) I grew Cilantro last year, and has some vollunteers this year, I would like to continue this tradtion! I will try borage this year also. I am guessing I can feed this to chickens as well.
Huw...you are such an inspirational gardener! I love your channel, and this video, like so many of yours, is fantastic! I hope one day to have our garden look as amazing and be as prolific as yours...just heavenly! Your green mulch methods are so informative and really work! I've become a much more successful gardener because of you! You, Charles Dowding, Epic Gardens, and Spicy Moustache are my favorite gardeners! You have a knack for making it simple and understandable! I love how you all give us practical, affordable, doable advice! Do you have a video on garden beneficial compost teas and fertilizers? I've never made any and want to try them. We've been gardening for 5 years, and this is our second year of the most productive garden ever! Got the soil right, got the best lazy, cold compost pile that all of the plants love, have some amazing flowers again, and am green mulching! Can't wait for the Jerusalem artichokes, inspired by a video of nutrient dense crops to grow by you, and I'm going to go plant the mint that's been growing crazy in it's pot! I will have to get some comfrey which we do not have, but unfortunately none of us like coriander or cilantro. Are there any particular nasturtium varieties that you suggest? They are beautiful! And yes, the second year of borage and just love them! I have yet to taste them, but am inspired! I'm going to have to see if you have videos are incorporating some of these plants into what we eat! Keep up the amazing work! Thank you so much for your beautiful videos, advice, sharing your amazing gift with us! ❤🙏🌸🌷🌿🌹🌻🌺
I’m already growing all of these except comfrey. I’ve never known it was so beneficial. Several of the others I’m growing because you recommended them. Thank you for the education!
@@Bg-xk1uw unless you grow Bocking 14. By the way been growing it for over 10 years and still could do with more of it, not that extreme of taking over😂
Perfect timing ive been talking with people about how the amish found poop to help growing but ruined all the streams at the same time. This knowledge shows helper plants are just as good!!!
Green Alkanet is another plant related to comfrey & Borage that will self seed, I use it with comfrey to make extract/mulch, it's one of the first to flower in early spring with pretty little blue flowers to feed the bees before comfey or borage shows.
FYI, Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens is a Class C noxious weed in Washington State (Pacific Northwest United States), due to its deep tap root and prolific self-seeding. Borage is not, though!
Thx for this video, really need to plant borage & comfrey soon. Wanted to add that every part of the coriander plant is edible, including the roots! In SEA cuisine, we use it for spicy pepper dips (seafood nam jim sauce) really great with seafood etc.
In Spain we also eat the stems of the borage, we boil them, don´t need to peel them, the spikes go to the sides of the pan, in a different pan fry garlic in olive oil mix it with the borage and that´s it, for me one of the most elegant vegetable flavor.
I grow several kinds of oregano in containers because it spreads about 1-2 feet a year and my space is limited. Mixed with flowers, it makes for pretty planters.
Had no idea about using green coriander. Great tip, it’s a staple already in my gardens. I’m big on Borage, Nasturtiums, and Mint as well. Should have my first strawberries this year, Gotta get the Comfrey going.
the person that lived in my rental before me planted mint in the tiny garden bed and I've been battling t for 3 years. I like mint but I want to grow other things. I would only plant mint in a container, I mean, unless that's all you want to grow.
Half my garden is borage right now I think! I'll have to start collecting the plants I pull out instead of leaving them and try making a fermented liquid feed.
I love borage since my childhood, my Grandma just to say about all of benafits that we can get from this beautiful plant. Now I cherish it in my garden ❤️ It's one of my favorites, after dahlias 🌸 But i didn't know that comfry is so useful. Thanks for this video!
Wow. I have all these in the garden even though strawberries are wild and to me a weed. Didn't know borage is good for a mulch, as i grow it for their flowers! Very interesting to read above you can eat borage. Must try!
It might be my heavy clay soil, but I've had very little luck with borage. It never gets bigger than about shin high and very few flowers. I've got nasturtiums going now, but they don't do well in our summers. It won't be long until we're nearing 100F Mint certainly changed my garden. 😬
I have heavy clay and heat in NC and I have struggled with borage. I have three plants this year, so hoping for a breakthrough. Comfrey is in the same place as it has been for seven years. Hasn't spread at all.
I’m experimenting with mint in a raised bed. I’m not sure of the variety but it has amazing white roots that pull up very easily. As I plant in an area, I pull up the mint and it loosens the soil and the bits that I leave around the sides keep the soil moist and loose. I just started last year so not sure if it’s a good idea. Also I have strawberry patch and left the mint hoping it will discourage the squirrels.
I planted 2 borage seeds and they grew like crazy in my raised beds. Thousands of flowers. They grew fast and it was a bee and ladybug magnet. It died back as fast as it grew. I had to get it out of my bed and 2 weeks later I still have a rash from it all over my arms and legs. Wish I had seen this video before we trashed it. I usually compost everything but because I had such an allergic reaction we disposed of it. We have mint and its also prolific. It grows crazy and took ip the whole area and then some. We drink mint every day. My son drinks a gallon a day he loves it so much. Planted nasturiums for the first time and its slowly growing. Our strawberries grow great in a tower and then self sewed in a nearby bed
Thanks Huw, I love learning about plants from your channel. 😊🐝🦋😊 We had a Bees nest right by our house last year in the patio brick work next to the house. Fascinating watching the bees buzz in and out. Feel very lucky. The birds nest in our hanging baskets and used to nest on our green wall. Sadly the green wall was taken down as it was going onto a neighbours property. But I hope to grow it again but keep it contained. Love nature. 🦋🐝🐦
Invasive ish unless you go for Bocking 14 that doesn't produce viable seeds. Usually people complain because it's then hard to move and any roots left in can sprout, but hey I think that's a wonderful thing!
Plant the Bocking 14 as it is sterile, so it doesn’t self seed. You can order online, as you don’t get seeds. It’s also quite tall with pink/blue flowers, the uk native is shorter and and has yellow flowers and does spread! If you have the seeding one, remember to cut back before it sets seeds, unless you want it everywhere! 😉
thank you, this is so helpful for the complete beginner I am, I planted borage and it seems to like it, and nastercium, mint, but my morrocan mint died off, and spear mint took over a bed which is ok too, i keep trying, this video is helpful.
I grow a lot of comfrey and use it in my compost bins and also make a liquid fertilizer with it and use it as a pre soak for root stimulation before planting my garlic and other bulb type plants. An interesting thing I noticed about comfrey is that my honey bees do not go to it but the rusty patch bumble bees love it.
Borage is amazing and maybe im weird but i eat the entire plant from top to bottom. If its good enough for my honey bees its good for me. Comfrey is great but i wasnt aware it isnt edible because i eat it in salads all the time. Nasturtiums is wonderful in salads and my bees love it too. Who doesn't love mint? If you dont like mint something is definitely wrong with you. If you don't like strawberries there is definitely something wromg woth you. I even make tea from the leaves of the strawberry plants. Cilantro is also amazing and if I were worried about starving this little mighty plant is a must have in any garden. Eat it fresh or dry the greens and seeds for later use. All wonderful choices. I would add hyssop fever few to the list.❤❤❤❤
My herb book says you can crystalise the flowers in a sugar and egg white mixture for use in drinks (eg Pims whstever that is) or as a cake devoration. Mine were a soggy disaster. 😮
I have borage comfrey and nasturtiums but have confined the mint to a pot. It’s not edible but growing limnanthes the poached egg plant puts bees and pollinators into an actual frenzy and they self seed nicely.
I planted borrage once, and it grew into a massive, gorgeous blue-flowered bee heaven. I mean they swarmed over that thing. It died after a freeze, and I could never get another one to grow again. 😢
I am absolutely OVERFLOWING with - jealousy, envy, and longing, as I write this from Phoenix, where we are anticipating(’nt) today’s forecasted high of 40 and absolutely no rain - ever - like Hell. 🥵
Grew my first borage this year in containers. Now I have little plants popping up in the ground around the containers. Will leave a few of them there. Had a massive amount of green material to compost. Also made some compost tea. Don't think comfrey is fussy about the area I live in SE Texas.
I cannot get rid of my comfrey. It's invasive. Make sure you have the space for it and that you really, really want it. I put borage flowers in my ice cube trays and make pretty ice cubes! I'm chopping the comfrey and using it as mulch inside my 5-gallon buckets containing potatoes. Keeps the soil moist, but otherwise, I can't pull them out fast enough (and you never get the real deep roots, so they always return).
Hi Huw, I am a new subscriber and have been watching lots of your past videos, I have learnt so much from you, thank you. It is amazing watching the insects with borage and chickweed and the flowering heads of vegetables left to seed, I have also noted that the artificial colours of bought -in flowering plants, the bees they are not interested, the colours are manufactured and are not of nature. Fantastic all the research and the simple way you share it, also love the filming. Can you share where you get your corrugated raised beds from, they look ideal! Many thanks
Have a courtyard & love herbs. Would love to grow all of these. Currently have coriander, mint, rosemary, sage, sweet basil, lemon balm, sweet potato, marigolds, cherry tomato. Would love for you to share your best advise for keeping walking trails throughout...My current are in 15 gal containers. (Want to plant those in your video in ground between containers)...
My herb book says and old name for borage is bee bread. I leave the self sown plants in my planters in early spring ( in Andalucia where it grows wild) just for the bees.
I like them too, rolled around chicken and dipped in honey mustard. I joke that they are antidepressant because after you choke on the hairs you are reminded of what you almost lost. Seriously though, they’re one of my favorite greens
Not to be a bearer of bad news but comfrey and borage contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are known to be carcinogenic. Not a big deal as it's in low concentrations but if you have a field of it used for pollination, it can contaminate prospective honey.
This is the closest I've seen to a video about plants that feed your garden. I know you cover similar things in other videos. Do you or will you make a video specifically for plants that feed your garden?
@Drew Anderson It's kind of fun to look at some of the earlier ones because he has come a long way since then. He has a really cool Abundance Academy video series; I really enjoyed the fermenting series, but they're all brilliant.
