Flax---Beautiful and nutritious....

Dainty blossom of the flax plant.

Flax seeds.

In the past several years, flax seed meal has been gaining popularity as a food supplement packed with Omega 3 oils.  The shiny, flat, ovate seeds can be eaten whole or ground as meal and added to other foods.  This is one food supplement that I personally use on a daily basis.  The benefits are far reaching but for starters, research is finding it to be a systemic anti-inflammatory, an aid in balancing blood sugar and a great source of fiber.  If you are not currently taking Omega 3, you might look into this.

Curious gardener that I am, I planted some of the seeds in my flower garden one spring.  By late summer I had some lovely blue-green wispy plants with dainty blue flax flowers.  A very nice addition to a cutting garden or bed that needs a 2-3 ft tall filler row late in the season.  A seed pod followed the bloom and, not surprisingly, yielded what you see above!

This would be a fun project to share with young children.  Be sure to end by whipping up your favorite fresh fruit smoothie reinforced with 2-3 tablespoons of raw flax meal.  It will be a thick, satisfying and nutritious treat. 

Flower gardening and nutrition meet and you are the winner!

Happy Gardening! 

More notes on flax:

Common flax (linum usitatissimum), also known as linseed, is also the source for linseed oil.  The boiled oil was used by our grandparents to finish wood.  I remember an older relative recommending that a bench be treated with a "nice coat of linseed oil."  Common flax is also used in the production of linen.  The wispy stems contain long tough fibers that are extracted by a process that leaves just the long fibers.  The fibers are then woven into linen fabric known for its durability and beauty.