wordless wildish wednesday

Blue Flax, linum lewisii, a CA native, introduced in my garden

Blue Flax, linum lewisii, a CA native, introduced in my garden

 

Blue Flax, linum lewisii, not native to my property, but wildish

Blue Flax, linum lewisii, not native to my property, but wildish

 

Blue Flax in the meadow

Blue Flax in the meadow

 

Blue Flax in the meadow. See sky lupine, orange wallflower, a Rose Globe Lily and Mule ears seedlings

Blue Flax in the meadow. See also, sky lupine, orange wallflower, a Rose Globe Lily and Mule ears seedlings at the right

Flax, a perennial, by the side entry in 2009

Flax, a perennial, by the side entry in 2009

 

Artlessly growing through an iron ring

Artlessly growing through an iron ring

 

Flax by the side entry in 2010. Plant Flax!

Flax by the side entry in 2010. Plant Flax!

Linum lewisii

13 comments

  1. Town Mouse -

    That color is just out of this world, and your photos capture it well. Now, where did you get the mule’s ear?

  2. Sue Langley -

    Frances, I wonder if you could grow this from seed. I know you love blue. The flowers continue for a long time, blooming from the bottom, up the stems.

    Hi TownMouse, I love blue, too, this is pretty true blue, huh? The Hall’s Mule Ears, Wyethia elata, grow in patches all through the hills here. They’re fabulous natives and I’ve learned not to water them at all.

    Thanks, Kerry, they’d go in your field, too, I think. I got the seeds from Wildseed farms in a mix. They’ve remained after all others have disappeared.

    Gayle, I love them, too! They bloom in April and May, haven’t started yet, but the new growth is coming out of the old wood. The stems remain from year to year and get cut back like lavender, say; the foliage looks like breath of heaven, very soft and ferny.

  3. James -

    Interesting concept…the “wildish-flower meadow”… The little touches of sky blue brought down to the earth are wonderful.

  4. Brent (Breathing Treatment) -

    What a nice looking meadow! Wyethia is one of my favorites, but it’s so seldom found in nurseries. Perhaps it’s too easily propagated from wild-harvested seed? Down here Wyethia ovata is my species of choice, but it seems to be scarce on the ground. Of course I said the same about Venegasia carpesiodes then found the mother lode at a plant sale. I think these obscure-in-the-trade plants get grown out every few years, but if it’s not a year for it then good luck finding some.

  5. Sue Langley -

    Thanks, James, I thought since I introduced it to my garden but it’s a CA native, then wild-ish would be a good wordlees for this Wednesday

    Thanks, Brett, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Wytheia in the nursery. I never heard of it before moving to the mountains and it took me awhile to positively ID it. I’m still learning more every year about natives.

    Thanks, Jan and welcome! There is another flax, native to North America, Linum perenne, that many people like very much, also a Scarlet flax and a yellow one, called Rock Flax.

  6. Desiree -

    Hi Sue!

    I really fell behind this past week and it has taken quite some doing to get round and visits all the posts I’d missed.

    This little flower is just so absolutely charming…to start with, my favourite colour in the garden, and it’s so dainty and prolific. I’d not seen them before and am wondering whether they’d grow here as I would love to have them in my garden, too!

    Your pictures are truly breath-taking!

  7. ryan -

    Plant flax indeed. It’s one of my favorites, though I admit I haven’t been using it much lately. The fifty or so that were in our yard are down to a half dozen plus a lot of volunteers that can’t seem to outpace the snail damage. This post makes me want more of them again.

  8. Sherry Collier -

    Hi Sue – Lovely blog – love all the pics (especially this beautiful flax). I am originally from Michigan and noticed in one of your other posts you have relatives in Michigan. I’m in San Diego County now – how about you?

  9. Sue Langley -

    Thanks, Desiree! I planted this from seed, but a few behave like perennials near the house. I see the foliage all year although in the winter if is brown. When I see the new growth, now, I cut it back and it takes off again.

    Hi Ryan, thanks! I don’t think I could handle both deer and snails, but it’s seems too cold for snails here. I used to go out each morning before work to squash snails with half a brick I kept for that purpose. Every morning! Until one morning I got a squirt of snail juice in the eye…I stopped then.

    Sherry, thanks and welcome! I was born and raised in OC, but our rellys came from the IL and MI and moved West in the 1920’s because of the weather!

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