Can you believe that it's soon time for the cornflowers to bloom? I cannot believe that the first of the lilacs are here and soon it's soon time for the cornflowers (aka bachelor buttons) to be in bloom.
When I first started gardening in 2013, I planted a seed pack of Family Dollar wildflowers in the ground. I'm not joking that I still have cornflowers from that seed packet, as well as red poppies. They just keep re- seeding each year. They can survive the coldest of Pennsylvanian winters! These pictures are of our youngest enjoying them each year.
Cornflowers are named because they grew in the corn fields. They are native to Europe where they grew like weeds. They are in the Asteraceae family.
Somewhere I read once that they were President Kennedy 's favorite flower and he would tuck them in his lapel pocket. I couldn't find a picture of that happening, although I found one picture of JFK Jr. with a cornflower on his lapel.
I also think of Corning ware. Don't you remember your grandmother serving her favorite dish in her cornflower blue corning ware? My mom still uses them, and I even have a skillet which I found at a yard sale.
The most popular bachelor button is cornflower blue, but they come in various shades of blue, purple and pinks. There is even a moody dark shade of merlot, but I can't find any pictures yet in my previous years.
I have also dried them and included them in loose leaf tea.
They add the perfect pop of color, and if you cut them when they are still just opening, they will continue to open in your vase.
Cut flower bouquets full of tulips, ranunculus and other blossoms are in full bloom here in Central PA. The first cycle of dandelions has blown open and the solar eclipse has made its rounds. The full moon is upon us at the end of April already. I love watching thy cycle of the moon each month. It lights up the sky and helps draw out the seedlings each month.
This is a picture of two shades of bachelor buttons, yarrow and lisianthus from 2022.
They add a bright pop of color to each bouquet. The honeybees love them and so do I.
There were not many renaissance paintings that I found of cornflowers. This one was painted in 1894.
Vincent Van Gogh painted this one called "wheat field with cornflowers" in 1890.
I'll leave you with this cute painting by Cicely Mary Barket of a fairy under a cornflower.
If you want to grow these, they are so easy. Just keep them watered until they are established, and they will re-seed each year. Contact me if interested in a transplant, or in my cut flower garden kits.
Blessings, Heather
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