Bachelor Button Polka Dot Flower Mix | Centaurea cyanus
Feathery button-size blooms of true blues, whites, and pinks.
JFK wore this flower at his wedding as a tribute to his father. When he did so, he stepped into dialogue with centuries of symbolic meaning given to this bloom. It was once worn by bachelors to test if their courting was successful (if the bloom withered quickly the young couple's love was not to last, so they said). But it has also been the symbol of various, mostly progressive, political movements. In our minds, these flowers are as masculine an accessory as a tie, a briefcase, or a derby hat.
Also known as Cornflower, the Bachelor Button can reach heights of 3 feet and is a great cutting flower.
Direct sow around last frost date, or start indoors up to 6 weeks earlier. Bachelor Buttons will tolerate poor soil. Enjoy full sun. Removing the old blossoms of this hardy annual will ramp up blooming. Might self-seed.
Days to Germination 7-10
Days to Maturity 90
Planting Depth <¼"
Spacing in Row 12"
Spacing Between Rows 12-18"
Height at Maturity 24-36"
Width at Maturity 12-24"
Sun Preference Full Sun
Artwork by Keith Carollo. Keith, a designer, heard the word "bachelor" he must have been thinking "pad." His digital rendering of 1960's-inspired bachelor-esque objects is both contrasted and united by the bright, colourful blooms of this flower.
About Hudson Valley Seed Company
They are a values-driven seed company that practices and celebrates responsible seed production and stewardship. Hudson Valley are best known for their beautiful artist-design seed packs (Art Packs) that appeal to gardeners, gift buyers, and lovers of art and nature.
These Art Packs, most fundamentally, tell stories. Hudson Valley challenges artists to convey in a manner that is fully their own, the history and meaning of the seed variety contained in each pack. These stories were once integral to traditional societies-stories of seeds were often origin stories for entire communities and peoples, and the lore and beliefs that accumulated around seed varieties reflected the nearly familial way in which gardeners and farmers regarded their crops. Our society is, by and large, no longer connected to plants this way. But we like to think these Art Packs help to stitch our fragmented world back together: useful seeds, evocative art, both equally valuable to our experience of being human.