Borage Ice
Cubes

Borage is more picturesque than tasty, but freeze the flowers in ice cubes to make your elderflower champagne even more of a talking point...

Proper borage is considered vital to a jug of Pimm’s by garden party aficionados. What Britons often refer to as borage however is the more abundant green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens, pictured). It pops up in nettle patches, parks, on roundabouts… pretty much all over the place from March onwards, and can be used in place of borage.

The leaves taste of, er, plant, and are pretty pretty hairy so not an ideal salad leaf. Try whizzing them up in a soup? Above all, Alkanet presents the party-throwing Londoner with a pretty blue edible flower. Freeze them in ice cubes to lend a touch of élan to g and t’s and other such drinks.