It sprang up from nothing, as usual, and as a leafy tower a metre high, hung out its pink and purple bells for the bees. Symphytum officinale, or comfrey, totemistic plant of organic gardeners, still ...

Since comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which can be toxic to humans and animals, is growing comfrey in the garden safe if it’s near fruits and vegetables, or will the PAs transfer from ...

Lawrence Hills is one of my heroes. Best known as the founder of the organic gardening charity Garden Organic (formerly the HDRA), he was also a prolific author. I'm always surprised at how little ...

THERE is a softness about members of the borage family. The gossamer hairs on leaf and stem catch the dew as effectively as any spider's web and the flowers, loved by bees, often come, as with ...

When I first met her, we were on no uncertain terms — comfrey was not my friend. I was a first-year student at The Evergreen State College in Washington state, and I was determined to have a garden. I ...

I have not the words to describe the joy that comes with the first ripe tomato of the season. This year’s is especially good because last year was so poor. With our blaze of unbroken July sunshine it ...

Henry Doubleday (1813-1902), a Quaker, brought Russian comfrey to England. He believed that comfrey would help prevent worldwide famine, so his last 30 years were spent in research. He could never ...

My introduction to comfrey, more than 30 years ago, remains a wonderful memory. Comfrey is definitely a plant worthy of love. Its numerous features make it an essential plant for every garden. At ...