I spent most of today in the garden, weeding and planting. Thunbergia for the hummingbirds, both African Sunset and Blushing Susie to climb up the trellises that are topped with terra cotta carried back from Ranch Gordo, that time we went to Napa to admire beans and buy terra cotta. Really. Milkweed for the monarchs, both asclepia tuberosa (buterfly weed) and asclepia incarnata (swamp milkweed), in hopes that I can reduce my environmental anxiety and guilt. And see monarchs. Lettuce for salads and borage as a companion to the strawberries., which have escaped their strawberry pot. Sorrel. Hyssop. Plus parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, tarragon, and chervil. All, I hope, as unattractive to deer as they are attractive to me and the creatures.
The French herbalist Gerard discussed Borage by referring to the ancient Greek naturalist Pliny, who said that the plant ‘maketh a man merry and joyful.’ (Hoffman 1995) Dioscorides, the first century Greek physician, mentioned the use of Borage to ‘comfort the heart, purge melancholy and quiet the lunatic person.’ Both Pliny and Dioscorides believed Borage was the famous nepenthe of Homer, which when steeped in wine brought about forgetfulness.
Borage sounds interesting, as does anything that would make a man merry
and joyful.