While we covered the Year of the Basil last week, let me fill you in on the centaurea. And since that it such a difficult name, I'm going to go by the name that I've always called these flowers - namely, bachelor's buttons. This name refers to the long-lasting quality of the flower when it is cut and placed in the buttonhole of a suit or shirt. Decades ago, bachelors sported the flower when they went on dates.
Annual bachelor's buttons bloom in late spring and continue through summer in our area. They are famous for their lavender blue, daisy-like flowers. However, other centaurea varieties come in rose, red, violet, pink, pale yellow and white. Flowers may be single or double-layered and may also be fringed. Plants range in height from 10 inches to about 2 feet.
Bachelor's buttons are so easy to grow by seed that they are rarely sold as already-planted transplants. You can sow seed outdoors in spring or, in mild winter areas like our's, you can also sow in September. Because plants are not long-blooming, it is a good idea to sow seeds at two-week intervals to have flowers for a long time. Sow seeds about a half-inch deep in any good garden soil. Keep seeds moist until germination occurs, about seven to 10 days.
Plants perform best when they are slightly crowded. They can be grown in full or partial sun. Once up and growing, cut back on the water. Bachelor's buttons are drought tolerant and stems can actually get rather floppy if the soil is kept too moist. Because they are drought tolerant, centaureas do very well in containers where soil tends to dry out more quickly. Remove spent flowers to keep plants producing new flowers.
All plants look good as part of an informal or wildflower garden. They don't work particularly well in formal plantings where you have all your flowers planted in a row. They are especially attractive interplanted with red poppies and snapdragons, or intermixed with daylilies. They also belong in cutting gardens in mixed color combinations. They make excellent cut flowers, whether you want to use them fresh or dried. Freshly cut blooms last four to five days. Dried flowers retain their colors.
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