Flax, I Love You

In late August I finally found my flax blooming, and doing what it does best - dancing like little ballerinas over other blossoms. Blue Flax (Linum Lewisii) comes with a strong resume - it was discovered and documented by Meriwether Lewis, in whose honor it was named.  It is classified as a tender perennial, but my personal classification would be "extremely tender."   In my garden it rarely comes back.  In my sister's garden 20 minutes south it survives and thrives - just one of those things.  And so I purchase two or three each Spring and hope for the best. I might add that it is not easy to locate them for purchase.  They seem to have lost favor with plant providers, perhaps because they often fail to return.  But Ray Schultz Farm and Greenhouse on Hetcheltown Rd., grows their own plants from seed and they have not been frightened away by flax's delicate nature.  I might add that Schultz's is an all around great nursery - true farmers.

The natural bloom time of flax is late spring. This year's plants were strong, rooted well, sported healthy foliage, but didn't bloom until late summer.  I'm hoping that the energy they invested in establishing strong roots will have wintering-over rewards.  It only blossoms when the sun is shining and I find that it closes up when the sun becomes too hot. It seems to like cool, sunny mornings and evenings. On rare occasions I find that a baby has sprouted from seed cast into the garden by a parent plant.  This is a joy equal to finding a wheat penny in my change purse.   With all its challenges and drawbacks, it is the purest, sweetest shade of blue in my garden.  And that is why I keep inviting it back to my garden party.