Linen flowers planting and care. Agricultural technology for growing flax

As June arrives, summer flowers arrive, often more cheerful and vibrant than their spring counterparts. One of them, the bright golden lenok, or coreopsis, is a member of the sunflower family and one of the easiest flowers to propagate.

The name coreopsis comes from the Greek "opsis", meaning "to resemble", and "koris", meaning "bug". Indeed, its seeds resemble bedbugs or ticks. In the West, the plant is called tickseed, which means “tick seed.”

Another remarkable feature of the plant is that it natural dye. Flowers are used to make yellow and orange dye. Using alum, they produce a bright and durable orange color.

Description

• Family: Compositae.
• Botanical name: Coreopsis.
• Other common names: coreopsis, lenok, Parisian beauty, calliopsis with one or two “n”.
• Life cycle: perennials.
• Flowers: yellow-gold, yellow with a red center, red-burgundy, single, with jagged edges.
• Flowering time: late spring and throughout the summer.
• Leaves: dark green, oval.
• Height: from 45 to 120cm.
• Footprint: on average 45 cm.

The flower is suitable for almost any kind of garden and it is difficult to find a more hardy and beautiful flower.

This drought-resistant plant, which can adapt to poor soil and can be safely planted in full sun, although it blooms well in just light areas. Lenok is very easy to grow and blooms in the first year if planted very early.

Remember, in the first year you may not get any blooms or the blooms may not be abundant. It depends on the timing of planting and conditions. But in subsequent years, the Parisian beauty will bloom magnificently and brightly.

Propagation by seeds

Sow seeds in late winter/late spring or late summer/fall.

For early sowing, fill pots or containers with drainage and good compost and place the containers in water to moisten the soil. Gently scatter the seeds on the surface and lightly press them into the soil. Do not cover them or place them in dark place because they need light to germinate. Keep the compost moist. The seed will germinate in 20 to 25 days. Crops are kept at temperatures from 16 to 21 °C.

When the sprouts have their first pair of true leaves and are large and strong enough, transplant them into 7.5 cm plastic containers.

For autumn seedlings, place pots of sprouts in a cool area of ​​the house, greenhouse or sheltered part of the garden. Sprouts are planted in a permanent place in the spring, when the risk of frost has passed. Plant them 38-40cm apart in a sunny location in well-drained soil.

Care

Lenok does not require fertile soil. If you feed the flowers too much, it makes them too tall and spread out, making them look careless and untidy. Half a handful of slow-release, general-purpose granular fertilizer is sufficient for the entire season. Scatter fertilizer into the soil around each plant in the spring.

No special watering is required. When watering plants nearby, give some water to the coreopsis as well. If you haven’t watered it once over the summer, it’s okay - the flower is hardy.

It is much more important to regularly pick off the faded heads, otherwise flowering will end quickly. Flowers should be trimmed regularly to encourage continuous flowering. Otherwise, only bare peduncles will remain above the foliage, which does not look very attractive.

When flowering is completely over, prune the plant back heavily and it will grow back strong and healthy. You can leave the spent flower heads on the stems for birds to feed on. But in winter period cut the branches back almost to ground level and cover the roots well with mulch.

• in complex flower beds and flower beds;
• mixborders;
• gravel bed;
• at dachas to create a rural landscape.

When it comes to full bloom, the Parisian beauty dominates the flowerbed and is difficult to outshine. So combine high grades with other summer flowers, producing large inflorescences of a different color. These types of calliopsis look good together with bookworms, crocosmia, cannas and dahlias. But use dwarf varieties and species for borders or in the foregrounds of flower beds and flower beds.

Butterflies love lenka and it would be a good idea for gardeners looking to attract butterflies to include coreopsis in their planting plans.

Perennial flax, so familiar to most of us, is often relegated to the background when choosing suitable decorative flowers for a garden plot. But in vain. After all, this plant has long been considered a real decoration of any home and its protector. Flax is a completely unpretentious plant, but at the same time capable of incredible blooms. luxurious flowers. By the way, contrary to popular belief, linen does not have to be blue. Today you will learn about all the features of growing perennial blue flax in open ground: planting, care, use in landscape design(photo materials are attached).

Perennial blue flax: description, main varieties and varieties

Flax belongs to the genus of herbaceous plants, numbering about 200 plants that are diverse in appearance and properties. Most often, flax is represented by a small plant, reaching a height of about 0.5 m, with fairly thin but strong stems and various sizes flowers (they can be both small and quite large) of a soft blue, white or pink-red hue.

Actively cultivated in mid-latitudes. Prefers plant temperate climate, so you can most often find blue flax in North America, Africa, some parts of Europe and Asia.

Among existing species and varieties of flax, the following can be particularly highlighted (photo below):

• Oilseed. This decorative variety of flax is grown at home, often for the purpose of obtaining nutritious and incredibly healthy flax seeds. The plant usually reaches a height of no more than 30 cm. The flowers are relatively small. Their color can be soft blue, yellow and even red.

Oilseed flax

• Decorative. One of the most picky varieties of flax: growing it is a pleasure even for a novice gardener. Moreover, it is from decorative varieties linen produces durable natural clothing.
• Large-flowered. This variety of flax appeared in domestic gardening not so long ago and immediately became one of the “favorites” among gardeners - lovers of home flora. The plant can be called medium-sized - it usually reaches a height of 0.5 m. The flowers decorative flax very large, presented in a rich range of shades. Decorative flax is considered a perennial: when favorable conditions it can live in one place for up to 5 years.

Large-flowered flax

• Perennial flax. This type of flax is considered the most common among all existing ones. Perennial flax is used to decorate flower walls, borders, etc.

Planting a plant in open ground

The plant cannot be called particularly picky about growing conditions, but still flax, regardless of the variety or variety, needs sufficient quantities sunlight, therefore, the site for planting it must be chosen that is not completely shaded by houses or trees.

Advice. If you are a resident of a region where the sun is considered a rather rare phenomenon, unfortunately, it is better for you to refuse to grow perennial flax.

The soil for planting flax can be almost any, but you are unlikely to be able to grow flax in a swampy area. The soil must be light and deep enough groundwater. Perennial flax will take root well even on slopes (but not too steep).

Landing perennial varieties it is better to plant flax in closed ground, but if the climate is warm enough, you can sow them directly in open ground, and it is advisable not to dig the seeds into the ground, but simply spread them on the ground and spray them with water from a spray bottle.

flax bush

Growing in open ground is possible both in spring (when the temperature reaches a stable 20 degrees) and in autumn (when the temperature has not yet dropped below 20 degrees).

Advice. When growing perennial flax in open ground, be sure to take into account the cold factor: planting cannot be done in damp or rainy weather, and after this process, the seeds should be covered with a small layer of soil, then insulated like a regular flower crop.

Plant propagation

Perennial flax is propagated in several ways:

1. Seeds. As we already know, propagation by seeds is possible both in spring and autumn (when seed material is sown in winter). The seeds are carefully laid out on the ground (without digging into the soil) and slightly moistened with water. By the way, perennial varieties you can safely start growing even in summer period. When grown in containers (meaning a permanent place, since seedling method Growing flax with subsequent transplantation is ineffective) removal to an open place is carried out immediately after sowing.
2. Dividing the bush. This propagation method is relevant for two-year-old plants. The process of separating several parts from mother bush usually carried out in mid-spring, or after the end of the flowering period - in August. Parts of the bush are usually planted at a distance of about 20 cm from each other. They require constant watering and protection from direct sunlight.

Blue flax care: watering and fertilizing regime, pest control

So that in the summer the plant will please you with a luxurious, albeit not too long flowering, be sure to make sure that it receives complete care. Next, we will talk about what kind of care perennial flax will require when grown in open ground.

In order for the plant to remain healthy and “live” a full life, it is necessary to provide it with periodic watering, which, by the way, should not turn the soil surface into a swampy area.

Avoid stagnation of water at flax roots

Remember that flax does not like stagnant water. A sufficient frequency of watering can be about 1-2 times a week (depending on the dryness of the period and the temperature characteristics of the region). Make sure the soil is always moist. But with the onset of autumn, it is advisable to reduce watering to a minimum, and then stop altogether.

In addition to watering, flax will also need periodic weeding, since weeds and excessive thickening of the plant do not have the best effect on appearance flax

Fertilizing is not a weak point of perennial flax, so you can forget about constantly preparing nutrient mixtures for the soil. IN mandatory must be entered organic fertilizer a few days before sowing seed material and add a little potassium fertilizer there. It is advisable to apply liquid fertilizer at least a couple more times throughout the season. It is advisable to carry out the process of feeding plants immediately after watering.

As for diseases, flax has something to boast about, because the plant is not susceptible to any diseases. Unless the flax flea can sometimes attack it. Unfortunately, folk remedies they are powerless to fight it, so immediately when a small pest appears, it is necessary to treat the area with growing flax with a special chemical preparation.

Combination with other plants

So that flax takes root well garden plot and became a worthy decoration for him, remember that best combination plant growth is observed mainly with crops that have a similar development pattern and growing conditions.

Linen in landscape design

HOMELAND: Southern Europe, South-West Asia The flax genus includes more than 200 species of herbaceous and subshrub, annual and perennial, hardy and delicate plants, which are characterized by simple leaves without stems and funnel-shaped flowers. Some types of flax are widely used in agriculture and production (for example, common flax Linum usitatissimum and its two subspecies: Vulgare, from which textile fibers are made, and Humile, grown for seeds). Many types of flax have decorative value and are highly valued by flower growers. Among them are the perennial creeping alpine flax ( Linum alpinum), bell flax (L. campanulatum) with oblong-spear-shaped leaves and yellow flowers, capitate flax (Linum capitatum), reaching 40-50 cm in height, with spear-shaped leaves and flowers of a delightful golden yellow hue.

Plants belonging to the perennial flax species (Linum perenne) have straight spear-shaped leaves and blue flowers that bloom in spring and summer. Large-flowered flax (Linum grandiflorum) is quite popular among annuals.

Breeders have developed numerous varieties of flax. Read also: How and what home plant choose for an apartment Flax seeds are widely available for sale. In addition, in the spring flower shops You can purchase young plants in pots (perennials are available from spring to fall).

Growing flax

The annual large-flowered flax (Linum grandiflorum) is usually grown in boxes that are placed on window sills or balconies; perennial species are used to decorate borders and alpine slides. Note that perennials should be renewed every three to five years.

Flax requires alkaline, well-drained soil, fertilized at the time of planting with an organic or three-part fertilizer. In spring, complex liquid fertilizer is added to the irrigation water once or twice to flowering plants or add a little granular fertilizer to the soil.

Location for the plant

Flax needs bright sunlight.

Temperature for the flower

Perennial species are resistant to both high and low temperatures.

Watering the plant

Perennials require wet soil, so watering should be frequent; annuals tolerate drought well.

Flax care

After flowering ends, faded inflorescences must be cut off.

Flax propagation

Perennial seeds are sown directly into the soil in spring or autumn. Later, the seedlings are thinned out so that there is a distance of 20 cm between neighboring plants. Seeds of annuals are sown in containers. The young plants are then placed in pots.

At the end of summer, perennial species can be propagated by cuttings or dividing bushes. In the first year, young plants should be covered for the winter, placing them in a protected place. Related link: Pink catharanthus - growing and care

Diseases and pests

Flax is susceptible to attacks by fungi, which can cause the plant to wilt and rot to appear on the stems. This disease is combated using appropriate medications. The appearance of nodules on plant roots can be caused by nematodes.

In this case, marigolds are planted next to the flax to act as repellents.

Below are other entries on the topic “Do-it-yourself cottage and garden”

Flax - an ornamental plant for the garden

Flax is a genus of perennial and annual plants of the flax family. The number of species is about 230. Gardeners grow several ornamental species - annual large-flowered flax and several perennial species, the most common of which are perennial flax, yellow flax, Austrian flax, coarse flax and Tauride flax.

Flax grandiflora – an annual, very tender, beautifully and long-flowering plant, low to 50 cm in height. Grandiflora flax flowers have a diameter of up to 4 cm and a variety of colors - white, red, pink, blue, some varieties have darker eyes in the center of the flower.

The flowers are open only in sunny weather. Large-flowered flax is beautiful in discounts, mixborders, it looks especially impressive in large groups, part of Moorish lawns, suitable for cutting into bouquets.

Large-flowered flax is an unpretentious plant; seeds can be sown directly in open ground in May or before winter. Blooms from June to September. perennial flax – perennial up to 50 cm tall with blue or white flowers up to 2 cm in diameter.

Blooms in June-July. Flax yellow - a perennial plant from 20 to 40 cm in height with bright yellow flowers up to 3 cm in diameter. Blooms in June-July.

Austrian flax– perennial up to 50 cm in height, blue five-petal flowers. Blooms in May-June. Tauride flax – yellow flowers collected on a long peduncle about 50 cm in umbrella-shaped inflorescences of 10-20 pieces. Flax is used for planting on alpine hills and in ridges in combination with other low perennials, such as carnation grass, yellow sedum, Carpathian bellflower, and flax also looks impressive in combination with ornamental grasses.

Flax - plant photophilous, grows in sunny conditions open places. Prefers light fertile soils with a neutral reaction. Flax propagates by seeds, except for perennial species seed propagation Reproduction is possible by dividing the bush and cuttings.

When propagated by seeds, flowering in perennial flax species begins in the second year. When planting, maintain a distance between plants of about 15-20 cm.

In the language of flowers, LINEN IS A FAMILY SYMBOL

Decorative flax - cultivation

Natural fabrics on the shelves of our stores appeared thanks to common flax, which is recognizable by its delicate blue inflorescences. To decorate the garden original plants, decorative flax is suitable, growing such species, and there are more than 100 of them in total, is not an easy task, but it is doable.

Rich palette for a picturesque flower garden

Decorative flax will enliven a flowerbed, mixborder, alpine slide, rockeries. Perennial herbaceous representatives and subshrubs are popular, but annual species are no less beautiful.

You don’t have to limit yourself to just blue; contrary to traditional ideas, flax can surprise you with its stunning variety of colors. Beloved by many gardeners, red flax blooms in early summer and delights with scarlet inflorescences until September. Alpine and Austrian species are low, 30-40 centimeters, bloom blue. There is also a completely unusual yellow linen, golden accents are good in composition with other plants.

Narbonne flax looks gorgeous; the beauty of the original bright blue inflorescences is emphasized by the snow-white center. This species branches and blooms in July-August. There are species with white, pink and purple inflorescences.

Features of cultivation

For those wishing to plant decorative flax, cultivation may be complicated by climatic conditions. It is very thermophilic and needs bright sun; the area should not be shaded by trees and buildings.

Therefore, residents of regions where cloudy summers are not warm and the nights are cold should avoid growing this plant. The simplest and most common way to propagate flax is by seeds. This procedure is not accompanied by any difficulties; they are simply placed in the soil, always in a warm place.

After the seedlings get a little stronger, the seedlings are moved to open ground. The land should have sufficient drainage and humus, it is advisable to add organic fertilizers. The optimal time for planting on a permanent site is May-July, depending on weather conditions.

If the climate allows, you can sow the seeds directly into the ground without growing seedlings. But in this case, you can’t rush; a heat-loving plant may not tolerate the night cold and die.

The minimum distance between seedlings is about 5 centimeters. As already mentioned, flax loves the sun and does not grow well in the shade, this is important to consider when choosing a location. The perennial plant will bloom only in the second year, but if you plant in early spring(provided it is already warm enough), you can expect flowering in the summer and enjoy the sight of graceful flowers until autumn.

How to care for decorative flax

If the summer is not too dry, flax can be watered about once a week. In autumn, the plant does not need watering at all; it should dry out naturally.

It is enough to simply trim the flower shoots. Fertilizer feeding is very important for flax; you can use liquid fertilizers, enriching the soil with them when watering. Total number such “nutritional procedures” - 2-3 times during the season. Weeding is a mandatory requirement; weeds do not have the best effect on cultivation.

Pests, such as the flax flea, also pose a danger. Traditional methods fights are not always effective, but chemicals successfully cope with the problem. Unfortunately, charming flax is not very durable, however, this does not prevent it from remaining a favorite in modern flower beds.

Perennial species are quite moisture-loving, but tolerate cold well. In ornamental gardening, flax combines beautifully with other annuals in group compositions, rock gardens, flower walls, and mixed borders. An ideal choice for decorating Moorish lawns with cornflowers, daisies, marigolds and meadow clover.

In addition, flax is also useful; according to experts, the seeds have a healing and even rejuvenating effect. Perennial flowers make the garden beautiful for many years. Buying ready-made plants can cause significant damage to the family budget.

But there is an easier way to get beautiful perennial plants. This is to grow them from seeds. The American magazine "Gardening" gives advice on growing seedlings, the 5 simplest and beautiful perennials for beginner flower growers. 1.

Rudbeckia If you are lucky enough to buy seeds from old varieties, you can grow this plant from seeds. Sometimes rudbeckia grows wild. Sow seedlings 6-8 weeks before the expected last frost.

It is useful to keep the seeds of this perennial in the refrigerator for 4 weeks, and then sow. And they will germinate well at a temperature of +25-27C. You can sow rudbeckia seeds directly into the ground when the daytime temperature is at least +20.

Of course, you can buy ready-made plant seedlings. 2. Gaillardia Gaillardia seeds can be sown at home as seedlings, or directly into the ground. In warm climates, seeds can be sown in the fall.

In cold climates only in spring. Gently and lightly cover the seeds with soil. If you sow gaillardia seeds on large area, you can just sprinkle them, then water well.

This will allow the seeds to come into close contact with the soil. 3. Aquilegia Aquilegia Formosa is native to North America. Therefore, in its homeland it easily sows itself if it blooms once in the garden.

Other types of aquilegia also reproduce well by self-sowing. But they often cross-pollinate, and the purity of the variety is difficult to guarantee. If this is your first time sowing aquilegia, simply spread the seeds over the surface of the soil and press them into the soil.

Aquilegia seeds need light to germinate, so they do not need to be covered with soil. 4. Blue perennial flax (Linum perennel) The seeds of this plant are often sold in wild plant mixes for the garden. But you can find seeds for sale separately.

Seeds blue linen It is better to sow directly into the ground, although growing seedlings is possible. You can sow in spring or early autumn. Plants autumn sowing will bloom next year. Cover the seeds with 0.6 cm of soil.

After germination and reaching a height of 3-4 cm, they need to be thinned out, leaving the plants at a distance of 15 cm from one another. 5. Lupine (Lupinus) This plant does not like to be transplanted. Sow directly into the ground. It's nice to know that lupine blooms in the first year of planting.

Terry cosmos

The seeds will germinate better if you treat them: you can soak them in warm water, or you can scare them with cold. To do this, wrap the lupine seeds in a damp paper towel and place in a plastic bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator for 7 days.

You can sow lupine from a vein before the beginning of summer. You can sow lupine seeds in the fall, and they will undergo cold treatment without your help. If you do everything correctly, your flowers will be so beautiful that you will need a fence for your dacha so that those who want to pick your beautiful flowers cannot get to them.

Comments

It’s so emotional when you talk about flowers. Simply amazing.

Candies made from flax seeds and honey

Linen (Linum) - cute herbaceous plant 35-60 cm high with slender thin but strong stems and small flowers of light blue, white or pink-red color. IN natural conditions flax grows in the mountainous regions of China, India, and the Mediterranean.

It is widely cultivated in temperate zone North Africa, North America, as well as Europe and Asia. Large-flowered flax. © Hatem moushir In decorative floriculture, the most popular is large-flowered red flax (Linum grandiflorum) - a spectacular bushy annual 45-50 cm high, 15-20 cm wide. A plant with narrow light green leaves and rather large (up to 3.5 cm) saucer-shaped five-petaled leaves red flowers.

Flowers do not last long. In the morning they bloom, and in the evening their satin petals fall off. They are replaced by many new buds, and the lush flowering continues until October. Flax fits perfectly into the Moorish lawn and harmonizes perfectly with many drought-resistant and sun-loving crops, for example, cornflowers.

It is good in mixed borders, village front gardens, and modern ones. garden compositions, and in bouquets. To do this, the flower in the bud phase is pulled out of the ground along with the root. The root is cut off and the plant is placed in a vase.

This bouquet retains its freshness for 3-5 days. Large-flowered flax. © Magnus Manske Decorative linen is beautiful and unpretentious. Prefers sunny places, easily tolerates drought and light frosts. Not picky about soil composition.

Can grow fully on any garden soil, but only without obvious stagnation of moisture. Before planting, dig up the soil well, adding per square meter. meter 3-4 kg of well-rotted compost and a tablespoon of potassium sulfate, superphosphate, as well as excellent fertilizer for flowering “Agricola”.

After this, the soil is well leveled with a rake, watered abundantly and sowing begins. The soil in the bed where flax is planted should be in a state of constant moisture. To prevent plants from decaying different sides, they are planted in a dense group.

Flax can also be planted among white daisies; the result will be a very useful and elegant combination. For long and abundant flowering Regular watering, timely weeding and loosening are necessary. Large-flowered red flax is propagated by seeds, which in mid-spring are sown directly into the ground at the planned location. For more early flowering Seeds can also be sown before winter.

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Flax is a plant from which wonderful well-known fabric, yarn, threads are made, but there is also decorative types of flax for growing in flower beds. Sky blue simple flowers flax bloom abundantly on a herbaceous plant, so flowering flax field looks like a heavenly carpet.

These simple, graceful flowers come in other colors - blue, red, white and yellow. The name of this plant is given for its use in the textile field, from the Latin word “linen” (Limun) means “thread”. The flax genus includes more than 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants.

Most often, flax grows in steppes, fields, slopes and even marshy areas. General sign types of flax flower structure, simple shape with five petals.

Flowers bloom mainly on sunny days in the morning and fade by evening, lasting no more than two or three days, but since more and more new buds appear and bloom, flowering continues from mid-June to September. In place of the faded flower, a fruit is formed - a capsule in which the seeds ripen. About 25 types of flax are grown in decorative floriculture.

Popular annuals flowering species - These are common flax and large-flowered flax. Common flax(Limun usitatissimun) - is an annual herbaceous plant, the stem of which is strongly branched in the upper part and reaches a height of 30-50 cm.

This plant is also used in textile industry and to obtain linseed oil. Common flax flowers are small, 3-3.5 cm in diameter, bloom continuously all summer. Flax is grown in flower beds in a group or planted among other perennial flowers, filling empty spaces; blooming small flax flowers will be the background for other solo flowers.

Blooming flax looks good among daisies, bells, blue cornflowers, poppies, you get a summer flowering meadow in a rustic style. This is an unpretentious and easy-to-care plant, drought-resistant, tolerates light frosts. The place for sowing should be sunny.

Flax is not picky about soil. Flax seeds can be sown from March to September.U grandiflora flax(L. grandiflorum) flowers are slightly larger than the common one, up to 4 cm in diameter.

Simple flowers with five petals are red, pink, blue or white; there is a white flax variety with a red eye. The plant is unpretentious, undemanding to soil and watering. Grows well in sunny places with light loose soil, does not tolerate stagnant moisture in the soil. This annual plant reproduces by seeds.

Sowing is carried out in mid-spring, or to obtain earlier flowering, flax can be sown in late autumn (before winter). Flax entrances appear in one to two weeks.

Young plants are thinned out, leaving a distance of 15-20 cm between them. These flowers do not require special care - weeding, loosening, watering in dry weather and fertilizing with mineral fertilizer will ensure abundant flowering. The hardy qualities of large-flowered flax allow it to be used for landscaping balconies and sowing seeds in balcony boxes, containers, flowerpots. Due to the ease of growing, flax is one of the popular and widespread annual flowers. Cut flowering shoots of flax look good in bouquets and last a long time decorative look in water.From perennial species in floriculture use perennial flax(L.

Perenne), Austrian flax(L. Austriacum), coarse flax(L. Hirsutum) - they have small blue flowers up to 3 cm in diameter, tall, highly branched shoots, some species with slightly drooping shoots in the upper part.

The plants form an openwork bush up to 80 cm high. Perennial flax blooms in the first half of summer. If you like bright sunny flowers, you can use types of flax with flowers colored golden yellow - this flax yellow(L.

Flavum), Ukrainian flax.Perennial types of flowering flax are also easy to care for and grow. They require weeding, watering only during the dry period of summer and fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizer.

To prevent self-seeding and thickening of plants, faded flower stalks are cut off to prevent the seeds from ripening. Perennial flax species are propagated by seeds; cuttings can be rooted at the end of summer. Since the root of these plants is taproot and goes deep into the ground, they do not tolerate transplantation and division of rhizomes well. The seeds are sown in the spring (April) or before winter (in November) immediately in a permanent place.

The sown plants bloom profusely for the next three to five years, then they are rejuvenated by sowing new ones. The blue flowering of flax is captivating. These openwork plants go well with large perennials and give them lightness and airiness. The encyclopedia about flax says this: “A herbaceous plant with a fibrous stem and seeds rich in oil.

It is used to produce the highest quality canvas.” I won’t argue with her, but a few of my words (and from personal experience) I’ll add it anyway.

So, flax is a plant with amazing beautiful flowers, which continuously bloom and create a wave of blue, milky beige and blue colors in the garden! And this way, in my opinion, the description sounds more interesting.

Let's add to it unpretentiousness, ease of cultivation and the miraculous rejuvenating ability of the seeds. How do you like this flax? I got flax by accident.

One fall, I bought some seeds for winter sowing, and among them were seeds that were familiar in shape, but unlabeled, in a paper bag. I didn’t take a long time to find out their origin and simply sowed them along the perimeter of the flower bed in a narrow, shallow bed.

After that, in the winter, I noticed a box with my flax seeds at the pharmacy! What happens, instead of flowers you will have to weave canvases? In the spring decorative linen(and it was he who was sown) sprouted thickly, but the sprouts looked so inconspicuous, frail and thin.

I thinned them out to a distance of 10 centimeters and left them, so as not to tear them all out. The surprise came when, at the beginning of June, large flowers began to appear from these very “frail shoots”! And in different shades!

Some were covered with fiery red flowers, others with sky blue flowers, while on others buds the color of baked milk blossomed. Flowering lasted all summer, and then September, October, November... But we can only dream of such a duration of flowering! Each individual petal does not last long, but then more and more flowers open, creating the effect of continuous flowering.

In this way, decorative flax was discovered for me - and since then I have been planting it every year, because it is not only a wonderful decorative annual, but also an effective pharmaceutical remedy. Learned how to grow the flax plant and what is needed for success.

Flax: care and cultivation at home

Flax seeds can be sown before winter, or they can be planted directly into the ground in the spring. Usually this is held at the end of April. Choose a sunny location with moderate soil moisture. The flax plant does not like stagnant water.

Any soil, even poor soil. The flower grows well in a group; plant it in dense rows. It is enough to plant the seeds in shallow holes (about 2 cm) and sprinkle them with a small layer of soil. Shoots appear in a few weeks.

When they grow up, they need to be thinned out, leaving a distance of 10-20 centimeters. If the summer turns out to be rainy, then you don’t even need to water the flax; if it’s dry, water it periodically. Before flowering, it is advisable to feed with complex mineral fertilizer for flowering plants.

You can also use mullein infusion. That's all the rules regarding flax care. It does not need special attention, but after a while it will begin to attract all the neighbors and passers-by: blue, blue, red, milky flowers will light up in different parts of the garden!

Flax seeds: benefits and uses

Separately, I would like to say that flax seeds are a unique remedy that helps preserve eternal youth, or, in any case, get as close to it as possible. If you eat a teaspoon of seeds every morning (washed big amount water), then in a month you will feel ten years younger.

Of course, you can buy them at the pharmacy (the price is quite reasonable), but it is better to grow flax yourself (for the environment, however). Sparing no effort and time, you will receive double pleasure: indescribable beauty and a year’s supply of healing seeds.

They contain substances that strengthen immune system, normalize metabolism and restore hormonal balance in women after forty years. Decorative linen already occupies the top position in the list of the most original and beautiful new products for a flower garden. This is one of the most fashionable and popular plants today, which, as usual, I recommend to you with pleasure! May your years last!

Time to plant. That’s right - the next summer season is coming and now is the time, if not to plant, then to already have a plan for what should be planted. personal plot. Besides all sorts of edible plants, we also want it to be beautiful. Slides, flower beds, rock gardens... there are so many things you can do with your own hands. Nowadays in garden stores there are very big choice diverse planting material: seedlings, seeds, bulbs, saplings and whatnot, and you literally want to “drag” everything to your plot. But will everything grow? Through trial and error (and spending money), what becomes the decoration of the garden is selected. My choice is usually based on the plant not being very high maintenance; it is desirable that it is not affected by any diseases and pests; was winter-hardy; would not require seasonal digging for winter storage under certain conditions. So I’ll try to tell you about some of these inhabitants of my garden, maybe this will help someone make their choice.

Perennial blue flax

I'll start with a simple Russian flower - Blue Flax ( Latin name Linum perenne). Blue flax fields are familiar to many who at least once in childhood traveled in the summer to distant Russian or Belarusian villages. This is the so-called fiber flax, from which they make linseed oil and produce one of the best and most durable fabrics - linen. In ornamental gardening, a similar form of plant is used, which is also grown as a perennial.

Flowers of blue perennial flax

Blue flax is a perennial herbaceous plant up to 50-60 cm high. The shoots are woody and thin. Flowers from soft blue to almost blue, collected in clusters, open on sunny days and fall in the evening, but are replaced by others the next morning. Flowering is almost continuous - in good sunny weather from mid-May to mid-October. The duration of flowering is affected by the sun, regular watering, removing weeds, removing formed seed pods. Greatest effect is achieved by planting flax in a large group: then you get a kind of blue bouquet that has an extraordinary decorative effect.

Blue flax at the beginning of flowering

Plant flax in April-May with seeds in an open sunny place. The soil does not have to be fertile, but it is still better to improve it first. Linen is not whimsical and does not require special care. Perennial flax blooms profusely in the second year after sowing; in the first year it also produces flowers, but very few in number. Lifespan? It all depends on climatic conditions: if it freezes or gets too wet, it will die in the second year, but if everything goes well, it will bloom for five years in one place, renewing itself through self-seeding. In the second year, flax bushes can be divided and planted. The transplant is tolerated well, it’s just necessary at first good watering and some shading. Before winter, faded shoots are cut off (can be used as decorative bouquet from dried flowers if there are seed pods), no shelter is required, but if there is a forecast of a severe frosty winter, then you can put a few branches of spruce branches on top.

Several red flax flowers in a flower garden

Blue perennial flax is planted in rock gardens, on rocky areas among low-growing perennials. There are several other types of flax, the seeds of which can now be bought in stores. This is an annual flax of red, pink and white. There is also a variety of white and red flax. Seeds are also planted in April-May, these varieties bloom in the year of planting, flowering is not as abundant as that of blue flax, and the entire plant dies in the fall. They also do not require special care and are also decorative. Can be used as bright detail to give the flower garden brightness and color.