Borage attracts bees

Last year, I observed firsthand how bees can improve the yield of a garden crop. I planted borage (Borago officinalis) in several spots in the garden, and the flowers of this easily grown annual herb attracted more bees than I usually see. They seem to have visited other plants, too. My pole beans, which were close to the borage, produced straight, well-filled pods, with none of the pinched, curved pods that result from poor seed set. In the past, I’ve found four or five seeds in the pods that I save for the following year’s crop. Last year, I commonly found nine seeds per pod. I intend to make successive sowings of borage in the garden next year so I’ll have flowers for most of the growing season.