Cornflower Classic Magic is a delicious mix of moody mauve and purple through to almost gothic-black shades, with purple and white bi-colours adding a lighter touch. Picking these flowers encourages the plant to branch out and produce even more fabulous blooms: a true cut-and-come-again choice. And those flowers will also attract beneficial insects, honeybees, and butterflies to your garden all summer long.
🌸 Flowering: June to August
📏 Height: 60 to 100cm
🌿 Annual
💧 Drought tolerant once established
Sow: where they are to flower (in situ), seed depth 2-4mm, during March to May depending on the weather and your location. Can also be sown late August to October for slightly earlier flowers the following year. Germination takes about 2 weeks or so.
Grow: just water young seedlings to help them settle in. After that, they handle dry spells well. Don't spoil them with rich soil or too much water; you'll get softer, leafier growth rather than masses of flowers. Then let them get on with growing and flowering with just cutting and deadheading to keep them going for longer. Oh, and perhaps a bit of staking if you have a particularly windy garden,
Enjoy: this is one for adding a bit of gothic drama. Those deep, moody colours look fabulous weaving through brighter flowers, and you never quite know which shade the next flower will bring.
🏡 In your garden
• Coastal plots
• Cottage and informal gardens
• Wildlife and pollinator plantings
• Flower borders and beds
• Cutting gardens
✂️ Cut flower
• Long, slender stems
• Cut the flowers in the morning when the plant is full of water.
• Condition them by letting them sit in a bucket of cold water for a few hours before arranging them.
• Fresh vase life of 5 to 7 days
• The petals can also be dried to make your own home-grown confetti.
🐝 Wildlife friendly
• RHS Plants for Pollinators recommended variety
• Seed-eating birds such as goldfinches will eat the mature seeds in late summer and autumn.
🍴 Edible
• The petals have a mild, slightly sweet taste.
• Use fresh or dried petals on cupcakes.
• Scatter vibrant colour over salads and other dishes.
• Freeze whole flowers in ice cubes for summer drink drama.
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