Flax
Flax: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Flax belongs to the genus Linum, in the flax family. Cultivated annual flax, Linum usitatissimum, is the type associated with textile fibres and linseed. The genus also contains ornamental perennials such as Linum perenne. Blue flowers alone therefore do not identify a species or extend the uses of cultivated flax to every garden flax.In cultivated flax, the stems are slender and upright, with simple, narrow, elongated leaves. These occur along the stems rather than forming broad, dense foliage. Their edges are smooth and their colour may appear slightly grey green. Flowering branches develop mainly towards the top. The overall outline is light, unlike a broad-leaved plant or a permanent woody shrub.Flowers generally have five spreading petals, often pale blue and sometimes white according to the cultivar. They appear in relatively loose groups at the branch tips. Delicate petals surround a small centre and give the flower an open appearance. Successive…
