Garden Source

The Bachelor Button Sweet Sultan Imperialis, ‘Centaurea (Amberboa) moschata’, is a deliciously fragrant and an absolutely splendid cut flower. If you like cut flowers, you must grow Sweet Sultan. The easy to grow and very fragrant ‘Imperialis’ is a somewhat taller and improved variety. The 2 inch flower heads are thistle-looking and almost shine. Flower colors are shades of white, pink, purple, lavender, rose, red, yellow, and burgundy. Sweet Sultan blooms summer into early fall, mostly during the heat. Sweet Sultans prefer a full sun location. They prefer average soils with moderate fertility and are tolerant to drought. Plant the Bachelor Buttons in the spring 1 to 2 weeks before the last frost. The Sweet Sultan is an excellent cut flower and grows well in that “hot” spot where nothing else does well

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The Flax Blue Lewisii, ‘Linum perenne Lewisii’, is a drought resistant, sun loving, graceful plant with clusters of sky-blue flowers that last 6 to 12 weeks. The pleasing 1/2 to 1 inch azure blue flowers appear on airy, delicate, gracefully arching branches. The blooms last one day, but they are continually replaced by new ones. The Blue Flax blooms from late spring to late summer. They will bloom longer in cooler climates. The Lewissi Blue Flax requires full sun or very light shade. The flowers close near the end of day or when they are in the shade. Place them in well drained soil and after flowering, shear back the plants. Plant in the spring after the last average frost date or 2 months before the first fall frost. Flax looks great when planted in mass and in rock gardens.

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The Bachelor Button Black Magic, ‘Centaurea cyanus’, has a black (deep maroon) flower that will combine magically with ‘Blue Boy’ Bachelor Boby or tall Cosmos. The Bachelor Button Black Magic, also known as Cornflower, has other admirable traits including drought tolerance. Bachelor Button will “naturalize” the seed that the plant drops. It readily comes back the next year to produce another crop of blue flowers. The flower size ranges from 1/2 to 1 inch wide with a sky blue color. Black Magics bloom 10 to 12 weeks after seeding. Bachelor Button prefers full sun but will withstand some shade. They will perform admirably in poor soils and they do well in dry soils. Plant in early spring, 1 to 2 weeks before the last frost. In warm climates, plant in summer to early fall for winter bloom. Remove spent flowers to extend the bloom season and increase the flower size.

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