Flax takes 100 days to grow before it can be harvested. During this cycle the plant bears small pale blue flowers that last one day before forming linseeds.

In April, I planted flax seeds with the help of volunteers at Southsea Green, in a space of 3 square meters.

We prepped the soil by making grooves of equal spacing with a plank of wood, so that the seeds could be planted in rows. This space helps with de-weeding and makes it easier to harvest the flax. It also helps the flax to grow evenly. I found information for growing and purchased flax seeds from Flaxland.

Southsea Green is a community garden located by Canoe Lake in Portsmouth. It is a long narrow garden looked after by volunteers open to the public, growing local food and flowers. The garden has a history dating back 500 years to Henry VIII, where the long path was used for connecting ships to the land.

You can sign up to volunteer at Southsea Green or find out more about their community garden below

Volunteer at Southsea Green

Flaxland seeds and Growing info