Bachelor Button from the Frosted Queen Mix #24

by J McCombie

Title

Bachelor Button from the Frosted Queen Mix #24

Artist

J McCombie

Medium

Painting - Photographic

Description

This piece has been featured in the FAA Group, "1000 Views on 1 image".
Centaurea cyanus, commonly known as cornflower, bachelor's button, bluebottle, boutonniere flower, hurtsickle or cyani flower, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe. "Cornflower" is also used for chicory, and a few other Centaurea species; to distinguish C. cyanus from these it is sometimes called common cornflower. It may also be referred to as basketflower, though the term also refers to the Plectocephalus group of Centaurea, which is probably a distinct genus.
This beautiful pale blue Bachelor Button from the Double Ball Mix has trumpets that begin white at the base and darken to a medium blue at the ends. The centre hub of floret fubes have deep royal blue and fuchsia purple highlights with stamen containing pure white pollen. This attractive flower is commonly used in wildflower arrangements and cottage gardens. This variety produces larger than normal flowers with double blooms in a range of colours. These spring and summer bloomers have large, double flowers in shades of blue, pink and white on 60-100 cm tall stems. These annuals grow well in full sun and good, limy, well-drained soil in a sheltered position. Cut back spent flowers to promote regrowth. Flower petals are edible, adding colour to salads. Plant en masse for a striking display or amongst your vegies for a bit of colour. Makes a great cut or dried flower. Self seeds.
Very easy to grow, this hardy annual can be sown in spring or in autumn, they are ideal for beds and borders and can also be grown in containers. They make a wonderful addition to any cutting garden and last well in the vase. They also make a good dried flower. Cornflowers thrive in poor soil and are drought tolerant, they flower all summer, they make great cut flowers and butterflies and bees adore them.
Bachelor's Buttons need little care. Plants are deer resistant. Blooms attract butterflies. Superb cut flowers, fresh or dried. Bachelor's Buttons produce an abundant supply of 2-inch double, fringed, thistle-like blooms in late spring and early summer. Looks exceptionally pretty planted en mass. In mild summer areas they will continue to flower until September if old flowers are removed. Attracts butterflies. Sow seeds in fall in mild winter areas or early spring everywhere.
An elegant cutflower, with edible petals that look fantastic strewn ever-so-carelessly on your summer salads or desserts. Mmmmmm! A treat for the eye and the palate. Some describe their taste as sweet or cucumber-like. Bachelor’s buttons also have a long tradition in herbal and natural medicines as an anti-inflammatory, so you can include them in the herb garden. As an ornamental, bachelor’s buttons look pretty in wildflower gardens. The cornflower is also considered a beneficial weed.
It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, where several cultivars have been selected with varying pastel colours, including pink and purple. Centaurea is also grown for the cutflower industry in Canada for use by florists. The most common colour variety for this use is a doubled blue variety such as 'Blue Boy' or 'Blue Diadem'. White, pink, lavender and black (actually a very dark maroon) are also used but less commonly. Cornflowers have been used and prized historically for their blue pigment. Cornflowers are often used as an ingredient in some tea blends and herbal teas, and is famous in the Lady Grey blend of Twinings. A relative, Centaurea montana, is a perennial plant which is also cultivated as a garden plant. Cornflowers germinate quickly after planting. Light requirements: full sun. Water requirements: high-average water daily. Soil pH requirements: neutral (6.6-7.5) to mildly alkaline (7.6-7.8). It flowers all summer.

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June 6th, 2012

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