Fothergill's Cornflower Blue Ball Seeds

Details:

• Botanical Name: Centaurea cyanus (Compositae), a premium selection within the classic Cornflower genus.
• Plant Class: Hardy Annual, growing rapidly from seed to burst into full, vibrant bloom in as little as 10 to 12 weeks from sowing.
• True Blue Beauty: Produces large, fully double, ruffled flower heads in an undeniably vivid, true-blue shade that is incredibly rare and striking in the plant world.
• Rich Commercial Heritage: A historic staple of British floristry, this long-stemmed variety was once widely grown commercially across East Anglia as a premium, long-lasting cut flower.
• Dual-Purpose Floral Art: The straight, wiry stems make them perfect for fresh, rustic summer bouquets, while the intensely coloured flower heads can also be dried to retain their brilliant blue pigment for permanent winter crafting.
• Growth Habit & Size: Displays a robust, well-branched, and bushy medium habit, reaching a mature mid-border height of 75cm (30in).
• Pollinator Magnet: Exceptionally rich in accessible nectar, serving as a highly effective natural fuel source to draw butterflies and bees into your garden.
• Thrives on Neglect: Incredibly tough and undemanding; it performs beautifully even in dry, chalky, or low-fertility soils, making it highly adaptable for both full sun and partial shade positions.

Care Instructions:

• Sowing Position: For maximum success, sow the seeds thinly directly outdoors where they are to flower into finely prepared, well-drained soil. Can be sown from March to May for a summer display, or in September for extra-early blooms the following spring. Position in partial shade or full sun.
• Thinning: Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them out gradually to a final spacing of around 20–25cm apart to prevent overcrowding and promote sturdy stems.
• Maintenance: Cut the flowers regularly for vases or deadhead spent blooms throughout the season. This prevents the plant from setting seed early and continuously triggers the production of fresh, tight flower buds.