First flax flowers (& raspberries) on the allotment. Woop!
The plants in the background were sown a few weeks after so are still catching up. I was also very excited to see a couple of other patches on the site. Not sure who the owners are, I’ll have to find out somehow – maybe I’ll leave them notes if I don’t see them about.
Many thanks to those of you sending in photo updates of your flax, I’ve posted some below. A couple of people are asking how to harvest the flax. Two or three weeks after all the flowers are over the plants will start to turn yellow. You then grab the stalks and pull them up from the soil, roots intact. Tie them up in a bundle (also called a stook) and store in a dry place until you are ready to process.
Details of harvest event in West Coker to be confirmed soon.
patches of blue sky 
Hi,
My first flower appeared a couple of weeks ago, and now there are several. Since then the cat has flattened out some of the flax as she likes to hide herself amongst the stalks. Every time this happens I try to straighten them out again.
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How marvellous!
My patch struggles with the dreadful conditions here in North Devon. However there are signs of buds coming……just wish this heavy rain and wind would go away.
I must send a photo soon,
Very best wishes
Sandra
Parkham Ash , near Bideford Devon
Sent from my iPad
>
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Hello again,
There is good news and bad news about the flax here in Crewkerne. Firstly it is producing little pods now that some of the flowers have gone. But secondly, the cat (who has been obsessed with the plants since I first put the linseed in), has been using the area extensively during the hot weather to cool herself down. This evidently works better for her than everything else in the garden. However, hopefully plenty of it will still be salvageable..
Jenny
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Hi Jo,
I harvested the flax today, and here are some photographs of it. It is now in a very warm, dry shed.
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My post from 19th July: Hello again,
There is good news and bad news about the flax here in Crewkerne. Firstly it is producing little pods now that some of the flowers have gone. But secondly, the cat (who has been obsessed with the plants since I first put the linseed in), has been using the area extensively during the hot weather to cool herself down. This evidently works better for her than everything else in the garden. However, hopefully plenty of it will still be salvageable..
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