Borage is a culinary and medicinal herb that’s usually grown as an annual flower. It’s the most delightful edible plant, with a sweet, refreshing flavor similar to cucumber. I wonder if that’s why the bees can’t get enough of it?
It thrives in full sun, tolerates poor, dry soil, self-seeds readily, and can weather a couple of light frosts. In fact, once you have a crop of borage firmly established in your garden, you’ll likely never need to seed it again.
Calendula is sometimes known as pot marigold or simply, marigold—but should not be confused with marigolds from the genus Tagetes.
Bees love the plant’s flat, easy landing pads and profusion of pollen- and nectar-rich flowers. Calendula blooms all season long from spring through fall, and even moreso when picked and deadheaded regularly.
Also known as echinacea, coneflowers are quite distinctive in the garden, with their daisy-like, drooping petals and cone-shaped mounds of tiny flowers at the center of their larger flower heads.