Linum narbonense Heavenly Blue Seeds - Perennial Flax

Linum narbonense 'Heavenly Blue' is a stunning perennial flax, native to the Mediterranean region. It displays abundant blooms in a beautifully intense shade of sky-blue. The flared flowers are fairly large, carried on slender stems that gently sway in the breeze. They form an erect clump of very soft, greyish green foliage. Ideal for sunny, dry areas of the garden, rock gardens and low-maintenance flower beds.

Linum narbonense occurs naturally on the dry coastal regions of the Mediterranean basin, from the south of France to Portugal and as far as Algeria. This woody-based perennial belongs to the Linaceae family. 'Heavenly Blue' is a beautiful variety, with its large, 4 cm blooms and unique colour. It forms a 40 cm tall clump of erect stems, which sway with the slightest breath of wind. They carry alternate, linear, grey-green leaves and masses of flowers from spring to autumn, depending on the climate. Each flared, cup-shaped bloom is a brilliant shade of sky blue, finely veined with indigo.

Flax is unrivalled for bringing a natural lightness and grace to formal bedding schemes. Although the plants are often short-lived, lasting only a few years, they self-seed easily. Sow perennial flax freely in rock gardens, wildflower meadows, borders and flower beds in light soil. It combines well with the sword-shaped leaves of Iris germanica, filling the space between the stems and taking over once they have finished flowering. It also performs well in pots. Its easy-going elegance suits plants with grey foliage such as Senecio cineraria, wormwood, officinal sage or Phlomis, which require the same growing conditions.