19 Mar '06 5:45 am I live between Middlesbrough and Whitby (North East coast) and wondered if anyone has seen these plants growing in the area? I am a basket maker and want to be able to weave with the leaves (provided they are not of course, protected species!?) Thanks
pumpkin
compost executive
Auckland
Hmmmm
23 Mar '06 7:28 am oops.. wrong thread.. dum-de-doo
Last edited by pumpkin on 23 Mar '06 7:38 am; edited 1 time in total
Bex
website manager
Camberwell, London
flaxes and cordylines in north east england
23 Mar '06 7:30 am hi Patricia, and welcome to the forum
I'm not sure if i've seen any flaxes or cordylines growing naturally anywhere in the UK, so I guess they would be protected if there were any. there might be plenty in gardens around the place but I'm not sure how willing they'd be to let you take your secateurs to them actually, my flaxes really need cutting back... fancy a visit?!
Certainly cordylines seem to be cropping up in every window box and border in the city. perhaps you could launch a stealth pruning mission?
I didn't realise you could make baskets with the leaves - how do you do it? do you shred them, or dry them?
Patricia Jorgensen
contributor
Re: flaxes and cordylines in north east england
24 Mar '06 3:26 am
Bex wrote:
hi Patricia, and welcome to the forum
I'm not sure if i've seen any flaxes or cordylines growing naturally anywhere in the UK, so I guess they would be protected if there were any. there might be plenty in gardens around the place but I'm not sure how willing they'd be to let you take your secateurs to them actually, my flaxes really need cutting back... fancy a visit?!
Certainly cordylines seem to be cropping up in every window box and border in the city. perhaps you could launch a stealth pruning mission?
I didn't realise you could make baskets with the leaves - how do you do it? do you shred them, or dry them?
Well, I am actually going on a course in York to learn how to do this. Apparently we shred them with a large darning needle, then use them as a thread to weave animal shapes. I was trying to locate some first to try and figure out the process first. In the meantime, a good friend of mine who manages all the local woodlands in this area has spotted some for me - not growing in the wild, but used by a local garage as a forecourt feature. I shall have to smile a lot and hope they allow me to cut a leaf or two
Mydnyght
valued member
transtasman located kiwi
1 Oct '07 12:55 am I have seen them growing in the USA before now.. if you can find them in the UK the plants are normally split into lengths with relatively parallel sides, my grandfather showed me when we were younger how to make single ply whips out of the flax leaves and the ketes show the same type of art work. http://www.carvingbone.co.nz/page3carvingsforsale.html may give you a glimpse into the way they were used originally by the NZ maori. Hope this helps
