Little Red Flax

In all my borders there used to be at least one little red flax, or Phormium hybrid. They would brighten up the winter days, and were supposed to stay neat and beautiful throughout the other seasons. This meant that they were supposed to stay red, and stay little.

My little red flaxes would glow with sunset colours when in sunshine. The garden in this archive photograph is Jeremy's memorial garden border by the front of the house. You can clearly see its resident little red flax.

Update - 2005

I'm writing this update in the summer of 2005, to report on the progress of the so-called 'little red flax'. Two things are very wrong with this phrase. Firstly, the word 'red'.

Not Red

The flax pictured above in Jeremy's garden has changed into all sorts of other colours. Large chunks of it have valiantly tried to revert to the olive green of the species. But not a blade of red! Hmm...

And Not Little

The word 'little' is also quite interesting. I can't believe that this plant was ever 'little', or that I expected it to remain so. How presumptious! It is now person-sized, far too bulky for its position, and has lost all its original cuteness. Progress? Hmm... And others like it have outgrown their respective garden spots. Some have been brutally dug out. The best laid plans of Head Gardeners can certainly go wrong...