Design

Lenok flowers. Grandiflora flax: planting and care

Perennial flax, so familiar to most of us, is often relegated to the background when choosing suitable decorative flowers for the 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 blooming with incredible 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 flowers of various sizes (they can be both small and quite large) of a soft blue, white or pink-red hue. .

Actively cultivated in mid-latitudes. The plant prefers a temperate climate, so blue flax can most often be found in North America, Africa, some parts of Europe and Asia.

Among the existing types 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. In addition, it is from decorative varieties of flax that durable natural clothing is produced.
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 of decorative flax are very large, presented in a rich range of shades. Decorative flax is considered a perennial: under 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 a sufficient amount of sunlight, so the area for planting it must be chosen that is not 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, with sufficiently deep groundwater. Perennial flax will take root well even on slopes (but not too steep).

It is better to plant perennial varieties of flax in closed ground, but if the climate is warm enough, you can sow them directly into open ground, and it is advisable not to deepen the seeds into the ground, but simply spread them out 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 must be covered with a small layer of soil, then insulated like a regular flower crop.

Plant propagation

Perennial flax is propagated in several ways:

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 can be safely grown even in the summer. When grown in containers (meaning a permanent place, since the seedling method of growing flax with subsequent transplantation is ineffective), removal to an open place is carried out immediately after sowing.
Dividing the bush. This propagation method is relevant for two-year-old plants. The process of separating several parts from the mother bush is 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

In order for the plant to please you with luxurious, albeit not too long-lasting, flowering in the summer, be sure to make sure that it receives proper 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 plant thickening do not have the best effect on the appearance of flax.

Fertilizing is not a weak point of perennial flax, so you can forget about constantly preparing nutrient mixtures for the soil. It is imperative to apply organic fertilizer a few days before sowing the seed and add a little potassium fertilizer to it. 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 are powerless to combat 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

In order for flax to take root well in the garden plot and become a worthy decoration, remember that the best combination of the plant is observed mainly with crops that have a similar development pattern and growing conditions.

Linen in landscape design

Brightly colored cup- or saucer-shaped flowers bloom on thin, leafy stems. Individual flowers are short-lived and may not open in cloudy or damp weather, but new flowers bloom daily and the flax's vibrant colors last for many weeks. The leaves are usually narrow, rarely more than 3 cm in length. Different types of flax can be annual, biennial, perennial or short-lived dwarf shrubs. Flax is often used in borders, and low plants are ideal for rocky gardens.

Although flax is frost-hardy, some species growing among stones do not like prolonged frosty weather or excess winter moisture. Most flax species prefer alkaline soil, but can grow in any type of soil.

Arboretum (L. tree)

At the beginning of summer, bright yellow flowers up to 3 cm in diameter appear. This compact evergreen shrub, which grows well in rocky gardens, has abundant dark bluish-green foliage. The leaves are elliptic to spoon-shaped. Winter hardiness has been sufficiently studied. The height and diameter of the plant is 30x30 cm.

evergreen shrub

L. flavum (L. yellow)

The plant blooms with bright yellow flowers in mid-summer. This bushy evergreen perennial has elliptical, dark green leaves. This species does not like the damp, cool summers of northern latitudes. The height and diameter of the plant is 25x25 cm.

Bright flowers

"Compactum"

A dwarf plant about 15cm tall with pale yellow flowers, ideal for planting in depressions but does not tolerate cool, damp weather.

Gemmell's Hybrid

The flowers are rich yellow, 3 cm in diameter, blooming above clusters of oval gray-green leaves. These hybrids grow well in depressions in the soil or in raised beds. The height and diameter of the plant is 15x20 cm.

Rich yellow flowers

Monogynum (L. monopistillate)

The flowers of this short-lived perennial are white, 2.5 cm across, and bloom in the first half of summer. The leaves are linear or lanceolate, with pointed tips. The height and diameter of the plant is 60x40 cm.

White flowers

Narbonense (L. narbonnian)

The flowers are pale to dark azure, about 3 cm in diameter, bloom from late spring to mid-summer. This herbaceous or semi-evergreen perennial has gray-green narrow or lanceolate leaves. Often propagated by self-sowing. Winter hardiness has not been studied enough. The height and diameter of the plant is 50x30 cm.

Lenok is a perennial herbaceous plant. The height of the stem reaches from thirty to one hundred centimeters. Lenka flowers are collected in large clusters, ranging from gray-yellow to yellow-orange. It blooms for a long time, from late spring to early autumn. Distributed in all territories of Ukraine with the exception of Crimea.

Most often, Lenok is found in a field, near a road, among other herbs, like a weed. Lenok belongs to medicinal plants. The entire plant except the rhizome is used for medicinal purposes. To do this, Lenka flowers and leaves are cut during the flowering period, dried in the open air or in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, and then used in decoctions and tinctures. The interesting thing is that the already dried plant smells quite unpleasant. It has a sharp, salty-bitter taste. Of the entire mass of cut flowers, no more than twenty percent remains in dried form.

For medicinal purposes, either alcohol tincture of Lenka is used, or dried flowers are brewed and taken orally for various diseases, lotions are made to sore spots by applying a tampon soaked in the tincture.

Regular Lenok - care:

Lighting:

Lenok grows equally well both in the shade, for example, next to bushes, and in open areas, such as fields, hills, dry slopes, light forest clearings or roadsides.

Temperature:

It grows in a temperate continental climate, best when the summer is warm with little rainfall, it is unpretentious and not sensitive to drought, as it is a weed.

Watering:

Lenok does not require special watering; the plant only needs natural watering, although in particularly dry summers, in order to reap a high harvest, periodic watering may not be amiss.

Humidity:

Lenok does not need high soil moisture; it grows well in open areas and is resistant to drought.

Feeding:

There is no need for additional feeding; the minerals it takes from the open ground are enough for it. Moreover, Lenok is used as a medicinal plant; it should not be fertilized with any mineral or chemical substances, since they are all concentrated in the plant and this can only be harmful to health.

Transfer:

Since the plant is herbaceous and grows only in the wild, it should not be replanted as this may cause the death of the plant.

Reproduction:

Lenok reproduces by seeds. After the plant has flowered, it forms an oblong capsule, quite large in size, in which flat, black seeds ripen. They can be collected in the fall and sown in early spring, as soon as the night frosts have passed. The optimal temperature for germination is from +6 °C to +8 °C, ideal from +20 °C. It germinates in April-May, blooms all summer, bears fruit from September to October.

Some features:

Officially, medicine does not recognize Lenok as a medicinal plant, but a large number of folk remedies for various diseases using lenok tincture are known. However, Lenok is widely used in Tibetan medicine. Also, a decoction of Lenka in milk helps in the summer to escape flies.

Common Lenok – diseases and pests:

Since Lenok is a weed, it has no pests

ORDINARY FLAX

An annual herbaceous plant up to 60 cm or more in height. The root is white, taproot, thin, long. Stems are erect, round, smooth, branched at the top. Leaves are alternate, narrowly lanceolate, sessile. The flowers are large, blue or blue, in thyroid racemes on long peduncles. The fruit is a multi-seeded, almost spherical capsule. The seeds are flattened, brownish in color, smooth, shiny. Blooms from June to August. Fruits from the end of July.

Flax is cultivated as a field crop in the northern and central regions of the European part of Russia. In the wild, it is occasionally found in all areas along roads, in crops, and in weedy places.

The medicinal raw materials are the seeds and the oil extracted from them. The seeds are pointed at one end and rounded at the other, heavier than water, odorless.

Fresh herb is poisonous and is not recommended for internal use.

Flax seeds contain up to 40% fatty oil, 24% proteins, 6-8% mucilage (in seed shells), glycerides, carbohydrates, organic acids, enzymes, vitamin A.

The mucilage of the seeds has enveloping and softening properties, and moderates the irritating effect of various substances taken orally or applied to the skin. It is used orally to reduce irritation during inflammatory and ulcerative processes on the mucous membranes, especially in the gastrointestinal tract (peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum), and with colic in the abdomen. Mucus is also prescribed for poisoning with various cauterizing substances, for catarrh of the respiratory tract, to soften the taste of various pungent and sour substances, to slow down the absorption of easily soluble drugs, to enhance their effect.

Fresh flax seeds are used internally as a mild laxative. Swelling in the contents of the gastrointestinal tract, they mechanically irritate the receptors of the intestinal wall and thereby enhance peristalsis.

Flax seeds are used externally for local inflammatory processes in the form of compresses and poultices, which slow down evaporation, prevent tissue drying, soften and moderate inflammation.

Flaxseed oil is used externally as an ointment for burns, and is widely used in the diet of patients with lipid metabolism disorders, as well as for atherosclerosis. In pharmaceutical practice, it is used to prepare liquid ointments.

In folk medicine, the seed is boiled and the decoction is drunk; the boiled seeds are eaten for stomach ulcers, gastritis, chronic catarrh of the stomach, bronchitis (as an expectorant), for coughs, colic, difficulty breathing, and for kidney diseases; the strained decoction is drunk with milk for pulmonary tuberculosis, the seed is eaten for leukemia; used for diarrhea; The seed is used for slimy drinking. Externally - the seed is steamed, used for sore throats, applied to abscesses, on tumors, used for various poultices, frostbitten areas are lubricated with oil. A decoction of the seeds is recommended for the treatment of wounds and ulcerations in the mouth (gargling).

Application

A decoction of equal quantities of flaxseed, bean pods (without grains), blueberry leaves and chopped oat straw. To prepare the decoction, take 3 tbsp. spoons of the mixture, pour 3 glasses of cold water, boil for 10 minutes, then settle and take strained 1/4 glass 3 times a day for diabetes, inflammation of the bladder.

Infusion of flax seeds: 1 teaspoon of seed per 1 cup of boiling water. It is recommended to take 1 glass of infusion before bedtime for chronic constipation, without straining, along with the seeds.

From a strained decoction of flaxseed (1 tablespoon of flaxseed in 1.5 cups of water, boil over low heat for 12 minutes) enemas are made for diarrhea.

Seed decoction: 1 part uncrushed seeds to 30 parts boiling water, or 2 teaspoons per glass of boiling water, shake for 15 minutes, then strain through a thick cloth.

To soften the skin and accelerate the maturation of abscesses, make hot compresses from the powder of ground seeds soaked in boiling water.

To treat burns, use a mixture of linseed oil with an equal part of lime water.

Flax is a generalized name for a numerous genus of herbaceous annuals and perennials from the Flax family. Represented by herbaceous and shrubby plants. Of the more than 100 existing species, common flax has the greatest industrial value. It is used in the production of fabric. In garden decoration, perennial flax is popular along with Narbonne and Alpine flax. Contrary to the usual opinion about the heavenly color of flax flowers, there are other shades. The culture is unpretentious in care and propagates by seeds.

Perennial flax has thin bare stems that stretch up to 80 cm in height. Abundant branching is observed in the upper part. The leaves are narrow, spear-shaped, oppositely alternate in distribution, green or bluish in color. The flowers include 5 proportionally oval sepals in blue or white. Blooms in June - July. After flowering, the fruits ripen - round boxes measuring 7 x 8 mm. The seeds are small, flattened, with an oily coating.

Of the total species diversity, 25 varieties are used in landscape design. The most common varieties of flax are presented in the table:

Name	Description
White flax (Linum album)	An herbaceous annual representative grown for industrial and medicinal purposes. In addition, this variety is used to decorate the garden. The flowers are red and white. The seeds are small, glossy, golden in color
Ordinary or oilseed	Tall, partly branched perennial, 40–60 cm high. Five-petaled blue flowers, 3–4 cm in diameter. The seed is brown, small, used for distilling oil and grinding it into flour. The plant withstands frost and drought and grows well in the sun. Flowering lasts throughout the summer
Large-flowered	Large-flowered flax is endowed with spectacular flowers with a diameter of 5–6 cm. The color palette is varied: white, blue, lilac, pink, red-white, purple. The stems are thin, branched, with narrow foliage. Height varies between 40–60 cm. Blooms from June to September. Easy to care for
Austrian (Línum austriacum)	Tall perennial, 15–65 cm in height. It blooms in May with large pale blue flowers and pleases throughout the month. Grows without problems on calcareous soil, drought-resistant
Blue (Linum perenne)	Forms dense herbaceous clumps more than 50 cm high. When spread, it stands from June to August. The flowers are a soft blue hue. Propagated by seeds: after sowing it begins to bloom the next year. It is unpretentious to growing conditions, tolerates a lack of humidity and low temperatures, and does not require shelter for the winter. Preference is given to breathable and enriched soil
Yellow (Linum flavum)	Compact herbaceous annual (no more than 40 cm). The flowers are loose, bright yellow, no more than 3 cm in diameter. Opens in late July. Natural habitat: Balkans, Eastern Europe. Loves an abundance of light, depleted but loose soil. Does not tolerate transplantation, so seedlings are grown in mobile peat pots
Alpine (Linum alpinum)	Dwarf species, 15–20 cm high, with sky blue flowers. Stems are bare, erect or creeping. The foliage is of regular distribution, linear-lanceolate configuration. The petals are oval, wavy, bent outward. Fruits in the form of capsules
Campanulate (L.campanulatum)	Low-growing bushes 20–40 cm high. The foliage is predominantly dark green, with a slight bluish haze. Distributed among the stems in regular order. The petals have a sinewy pattern and form bell-shaped buds of golden yellow color. Collected in corymbose inflorescences 5–6 cm long. Blooms in May - June. There are no special requirements for the soil
Capitate (Linum capitatum)	A forty-centimeter perennial with abundant foliage. The leaves are lobed at the bottom and form a dense rosette. The stems have a lanceolate-linear shape with a pointed end. The buds are yellow, bloom in June, flowering lasts 3 months
Tauride (Linum tauricum)	Forms dense, abundantly flowering bushes 50 cm high. The flowers are small, umbrella-shaped, grouped into lush inflorescences of 15–20 each. The color is exclusively yellow
Thin-leaved (Linum tenuifolium)	Strongly branching shrubs with stems woody at the base, 20–50 cm high. The leaves are elongated, peak-shaped, rough to the touch, with a longitudinal vein. Inflorescences are prefabricated, up to 2–3 cm in diameter. Available colors: white, pink, lilac, white with a purple center. Blooms from June to July

Decorative varieties of flax:

Azure Harbor is a sophisticated perennial, often grown in masses. Small blue flowers are produced on thin multiple stems 50 cm high.
Pilgrim - represented by lush, voluminous bushes 30 cm high. The leaves are openwork, dark green. The flowers are sky blue, 2–2.5 cm in diameter. They bloom twice during the growing season: in early summer and from September until frost.
Sky blue is a large-flowered, creeping variety that forms a continuous blue carpet. Height - 50–80 cm, flower diameter - 4–5 cm. The buds bloom on the side shoots. If you remove the faded ones in time, new ones appear all summer.
Sunny bunny is a perennial with a height of 20 cm and a flower diameter of 3 cm. The color of the buds is yellow. Blooms in August - September, the next year after sowing.
Blue silk is a herbaceous perennial 50 cm tall. It blooms in June - July with blue flowers. The leaves are small, narrow, alternate. Reproduces by generative and vegetative methods.
Blue carpet and Blue sky - grows abundantly, forming a continuous carpet of soft blue color. Height - 50 cm, flower diameter - 3 cm. Flowering lasts from June to July.
Diamond - forms elastic multiple shoots, densely covered with crystal-white flowers. The height of the plant is 30 cm. It opens in June and retains this appearance until September.
Diamond is an unpretentious perennial 50 cm high. The flowers are white, with satin petals, and small. Flowering lasts a month: from June to July.

The described representatives are grown mainly to decorate private areas, parks and gardens. But this does not infringe on their beneficial properties: the seeds are widely used in cooking and folk medicine.

Planting and care

Flax is a plant that is unpretentious in terms of growth and care, but on heavy soils and in the absence of solar heat it will not be possible to achieve abundant flowering. Therefore, the site is selected as lightly as possible, with protection from drafts. The soil is welcome to be loose, nutritious and with drainage included. Dampness is contraindicated for flax, so the close occurrence of groundwater is excluded.

Growing perennial flax in Siberian regions with short and cloudy summers is unlikely to be successful. The way out of the situation is to prepare seedlings at home.

It is important to adhere to the rules of crop rotation when sowing flax. An ideal area would be where potatoes, legumes and grain crops previously grew. Depleted soil is acceptable if the predecessors were other perennials. During autumn digging, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are applied, nitrogen fertilizers are added in the spring, immediately before planting.

The suitable period for sowing in open ground is April - May, when the ground warms up to a temperature of 8–10 °C. You can plant flax in the fall, until the first frost occurs. The seeds are pre-treated with fungicides to prevent all kinds of diseases. It is not necessary to deepen them: the seeds are distributed over the surface at a distance of 20–25 cm. Lightly sprinkle with soil on top and moisten with a spray bottle.

Watering is carried out according to the degree of drying of the upper soil layer. In the summer season, three times a week is enough; in the fall, moisturizing is stopped. Over the entire growing season, 3-4 feedings are sufficient. Mineral and organic are added alternately. Granular complex compounds and humus can be placed in the root zone, with a slight depression. Spraying with the same fertilizers, only in a diluted state, will be no less effective.

Proper care also includes regular loosening and weed removal. Faded buds are immediately removed so that the plant does not waste energy on them. In their place, new ones will soon form. In late autumn, flax plantings are covered with mulch from leaf compost or peat. This technique will protect the roots from freezing.

Flax is rarely exposed to diseases and pest attacks. The only danger comes from the flax flea beetle. Preventative treatments with insecticides help.

After flowering, the fruits ripen, which are gutted and the seeds collected. Readiness is determined visually: the boxes dry out and the seeds turn dark brown. The collected material is dried in the open air. It can be stored for up to three years without losing its original properties. In addition to sowing, the seeds are used in cooking and cosmetology.

Reproduction

The most common method of propagating decorative flax is by seeds.. In central Russia they are pre-germinated in containers. With an abundance of light and warmth, the seedlings hatch after 2–3 weeks. If climatic conditions allow, then this stage is skipped, and sowing is carried out immediately at a permanent place in the garden.

Seedlings are transplanted in the spring or early summer, when the risk of return night frosts has passed.

The sequence of further actions is as follows:

The beds are dug up to the planned depth of planting seedlings, a drainage layer is distributed: sand with crushed stone.
Humus is also added at the rate of 3-4 buckets per 2 square meters. m of planted area.
Additionally, mineral compounds are scattered: superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
Bushes are dug in at a distance of 5–10 cm.

Group plantings are recommended so that neighbors can support each other in an upright position. Otherwise, the thin stems will collapse under the weight of the flowers. Excessively dense plantings are thinned out by dividing the bushes. A part with at least one bud on it is pulled out from the base. You can dig up the plant completely and cut it lengthwise, capturing the root system.

Another propagation option is cuttings. The procedure is carried out any time between April and August. Stronger shoots, at least 20 cm long, are selected. After separating them from the main plant, they are buried in the soil to the level of the lower foliage. The top is trimmed and a glass cap is put on top. Full rooting usually occurs by autumn or next spring.

Experienced gardeners guarantee more lush and abundant flowering when sowing seeds. Perennial flax grows in one place for 3–4 years without replanting.