Another beauty from the Cornflower family. Black Ball is actually more of a very deep, dark plum colour than black and is absolutely stunning when used as a cut flower. I love it teamed up with the bright orange of calendula for a real eye-catching display, but it's also wonderful in softer arrangements and sits very well amongst pinks, blues, and reds too.
Bees and other pollinators adore cornflowers; grow them, and your garden will be buzzing and humming all summer long. Keep deadheading or cutting bunches of flowers for friends to prolong the flowering season.
Seed Quantity: 400 Seeds
Type 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.
I have ordered many seeds from this website, the delivery is reasonable and so are the seeds. I get fantastic germination and am no expert. I have tried other seed companies and nothing compares. This is a very safe bet and one that you won’t regret.
Completely a beginner but they have germinated after a couple of days and seedlings seem to be coming along nicely, very healthy and happy little plants … seeds came in addition to sow a long package and all beautifully presented … will be a repeat customer