Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden
Cornflower Blue Ball
Cornflower 'Blue Ball' Seeds
No cottage garden is complete without the dazzling, true blue of Cornflower 'Blue Ball'. This classic hardy annual is incredibly easy to grow and produces masses of double, shaggy flowers on tall stems. It's an essential for any cutting patch, looks wonderful drifting through borders, is beloved by bees, and its petals are even edible!
Once a common sight in cornfields across the UK before the use of herbicides, these brilliant, cobalt blue native flowers are now a rare sight but thankfully live on in our gardens. They are a dream to grow. Easy, prolific (producing endless amounts of flowers over several months if you keep on top of the dead-heading), beloved of butterflies and bees, and will happily self-seed.
Perfect for autumn sowing! See our full Seeds to Sow in November collection. The ultimate easy cutting flower – explore the Direct Sown Seeds collection and our Cutting Garden Seeds collection! Love Cornflowers? See our 'Black Ball' seeds or 'Black & Mauve Mix' too!
| Quantity of Seeds | 200 Seeds |
| Type | Hardy Annual |
| Genus | Centaurea cyanus |
| Sow Seeds |
Sow in September for larger, stronger plants and/or in late April. Can be sown in modules to transplant later or directly into the soil. Pre-water the soil before sowing. Sow thinly and cover only very lightly. Do not let the soil dry out. Grow in poor, well-drained soil and in full sun, and it is advisable to grow through some netting as they are prone to flopping over in high winds without support. |
| Plant Out | July–October Keep cutting and deadheading to encourage more blooms |
| Flowers | June-September |
| Height & Spread |
60-90cm high x 30cm spread |
RHS Plants for Pollinators.
The RHS Plants for Pollinators mark is only given to plants that support pollinating insects.