Lincolnshire linseed

I started the day with a short trip out on my newly acquired bike. It's a long time since I've ridden one, but I had no problems, though my right knee complained a little and I had to walk up the one small hill! I'm sure my muscles will soon adapt.

After a brief rest, Pete and I then headed out to a tetrad north of Uffington to do some botanical recording. I was expecting it to be rather dull, but in the end we recorded over 150 species, thanks largely to some rather species-rich road verges. We met the farmer and discovered they had been managed by annual cutting for many years and were effectively linear hay meadows.

There were also some rather local arable weeds, especially along the margins of this flax field. Flax or linseed is increasingly grown in the local area, and a whole field of the soft blue flowers can be a stunning sight. But the seedheads are also very attractive, particularly just before harvest when they take on a very attractive warm shade of brown.

Some call flax one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. There’s some evidence it may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Linseed was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BC. In the 8th century, King Charlemagne believed so strongly in the health benefits of linseed that he passed laws requiring his subjects to consume it. Now, thirteen centuries later, some experts say we have preliminary research to back up what Charlemagne suspected.

Linseed is found in all kinds of today's foods, particularly the many seeded-breads and is also available in as whole seed, ground seed and cold-pressed oil to use in your own recipes. Not only has consumer demand for linseed grown, agricultural use has also increased - it's what's used to feed all those chickens that are laying eggs with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids!