Bachelor’s Buttons is an edible and ornamental annual flower that is amongst the easiest to grow from seeds. Dwarf Blue is a variety that resulted from the selection of small, dwarf flowers of a most vivid blue over time.
The quick-blooming plants will reach about 20 inches in height with a compact growing habit. Because of their small size, ease of care and vigorous growth, Dwarf Blue Bachelors Buttons are a great choice for growing in pots and containers. The flowers are stunning in a fresh cut bouquet and retain their charming colour when dried. An excellent choice for beginner gardeners and children’s gardens.
- Latin Name: Centaurea cyanus
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Days to Maturity: 65
- Planting Depth: 10 seeds 5 mm deep or broadcast directly
- Plant Spacing: 15-20 cm
- Growth Habit: 30-50 cm tall
GROWING INSTRUCTIONS
Bachelor’s buttons, also known as cornflowers, add a variety of pleasant colours to the summer garden. Bachelor’s buttons are native to Europe but have naturalized on the American continents.
A vigorously growing annual will self-seed if left to overwinter in the garden. The hardy, drought resistant plant features tall stalks, attractive foliage and delicate, yet vibrant, flowers.
Seeds will do best sown directly, but can be started indoors to get a head start on the season. Indoors, start seeds a couple weeks before the last frost date and plant in flats or individual pots and press the seeds gently into the surface. Seeds should not be covered, they need access to light to germinate. Mist the seeds and keep them moist through the germination process. Seeds should sprout in seven to ten days.
Bachelor’s buttons do best in hot weather, so don’t rush to move them outside before temperatures are reliably warm. Choose a site that receives full sun and has well-drained soil. Cornflowers can be susceptible to rusts and rots if they stand in wet soil for too long.
They can be planted in containers if you’re worried about them spreading in your garden beds. Deadheading will have to be kept up with if you don’t want a whole bunch of cornflowers sprouting in a particular area. They self-seed quite readily and do well grown en masse in meadow settings if the area is cultivated and weeded consistently.
When young plants reach 12-18 cm tall, apply a thin layer of mulch to help retain moisture at this crucial stage. Once established, cornflowers will become much more resistant to drought conditions. Cut flowers often to encourage stockier plants that will continue blooming. Deadhead spent blooms to save seed or to prevent spring seedlings from taking over the area next year.
The brightly coloured tufts of petals are edible and work great in flower beds, borders, ornamentally, in meadows and as cut flowers in arrangements. Bachelor’s buttons will look fantastic anywhere on your property and will boost the health of its ecosystem by drawing in beneficial species and pollinators, like birds, butterflies and bees.
QUICK FACTS
- Bachelor’s Button, also known as ‘’Cornflower,’’ is originally native to Europe and was introduced to England and Ireland as early as the Iron Age, in 1000 BCE. The popularity of the flowers spread quickly to Asia and Africa, with the Ancient Egyptians making extensive use of its flowers.
- During the Victorian times, single men would often wear a Cornflower in the buttonhole of their suit when they were courting women, signifying love and availability.
- Used extensively in fabric dying and for making everlasting bouquets, Bachelor’s Button was introduced to the USA in the 1600s and it quickly naturalized across the continent.
- Bachelor’s Button Cornflower used to grow like weeds in the corn and grain fields of Europe, hence the name. Cornflower is now endangered in its native European habitat due to agricultural intensification and over-use of herbicides.
- Bachelor's button seeds will remain viable for 3 years if stored in a cool, dark place, ideally between 4 and 10⁰C. After that, the germination rate may start to go down.
