landscaping

 

Bachelor Button - Blue Boy

The Bachelor Button Blue Boy, 'Centaurea cyanus', displays sky blue flowers that are attractive as cut or dried flowers. The Bachelor Button Blue Boy, also known as Cornflower, has other admirable traits including drought tolerance. Bachelor Button will "naturalize" the seed 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. Blue Boys 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. ... more

 

Daisy - Gloriosa The Daisy Gloriosa Blend, 'Rudbeckia hirta 'Gloriosa', has huge 4 to 7 inch flowers. The Gloriosa Blend loves the heat and is drought tolerant. Grown as an annual, Gloriosa Daisy is technically a short-lived perennial and may come back for a second or third year. The large, wide yellow flowers have brown bands or stripes with a brown center. The Gloriosa will grow in almost any soil but it has a preference for rich, alkaline soils that are well drained. They are drought tolerant, but they will bloom best in moist soil. Plant in early spring, 3 to 4 weeks before the last average frost date, or plant up to 2 months before the first fall frost. They maintain their color after other flowers are beginning to fade in the fall.