Gerard the Herbalist, one of the earliest garden bloggers of the 1500s, wrote, "The leaves and floures of Borage put into wine make men and women glad and merry and drive away all sadnesse, dulnesse, and melancholy Syrup made of the floures of Borage comforteth the heart and quieteth the phrenticke and lunaticke person." All useful ideas! But you could also follow the advice of our more modern garden sages and freeze the flowers in ice cubes to make your lemonade look pretty.

One of the most popular edible flowers, borage's star-shaped blossoms have a pleasant cucumber-like flavor. The fuzzy, silvery-green foliage is festooned with small, bright flowers, which can be used to decorate cakes, salads, and drinks. This blue-bloomed cousin of Comfrey has medicinal properties and attracts beneficial insects.