It is oddly stressful at the end of the year with preparations for Christmas and other festivals plus summer holidays for students and a lot of workers. It all suggests that we will be having a great time. And many people are. But there are lots of pressures too and it can be hard to just quietly enjoy the season. Time for some calming I think, and the blue flowers of borage do it well for me.
Borage (Borago officinalis) flowers have a delicacy that contrasts with the bristly appearance of the plant - the white hairs are very prominent on the stems and buds. The leaves are edible and taste quite like cucumber but they are a bit too hairy and textured for me to use in that way. The flowers are also edible, and quite charming in a salad or floating in a drink. My childhood recall is that they turned from blue to a bit pink in lemonade, like litmus, but that could just be a fanciful reconstruction. I think I might make some lemonade and see what happens.