Mixed Colors Bachelor's Buttons is a cheerful annual cornflower that brings effortless charm to gardens across zones 3, 8. These bushy plants grow 18, 24 inches tall and produce delicate 1-inch pompom blooms in purple, white, magenta, lavender, and rose throughout the season. Ready to flower in 80, 89 days, this cultivar thrives in full sun and needs just 9 inches of spacing, making it one of the easiest flowers to grow from seed. Whether you're filling window boxes, rock gardens, or creating a wild, informal cottage feel, these flowers deliver reliable color with minimal fuss.
Full Sun
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3-8
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Moderate
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Bachelor's Buttons bloom in a seasonal kaleidoscope of soft purples, whites, magentas, lavenders, and roses from compact, upright plants. The delicate pompom flowers appear abundantly on stems perfect for cutting or leaving to dance in garden beds. These are genuinely easy to grow from seed, thriving in conditions that would challenge fussier flowers, and they're particularly beloved by gardeners introducing children to the joy of growing things.
Bachelor's Buttons are grown primarily as ornamental flowers for garden display. The long stems make them excellent for fresh-cut arrangements, and their cheerful pompoms shine in window boxes, rock gardens, hanging baskets, and informal cottage garden plantings. They also thrive in wild or unkept garden spaces where their casual charm feels completely at home.
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Start seeds indoors 4, 6 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds on moist soil and provide light for germination. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged until seedlings emerge. Transplant into individual cells once they develop their first true leaves.
Harden off seedlings over 7, 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant after your last spring frost when soil has warmed. Space plants 9 inches apart in full sun. Press soil gently around each plant and water well to settle the soil.
Direct sow seeds into the garden after your last spring frost date when soil has warmed. Scatter seeds where you want them to flower and press lightly into soil. Keep soil moist until seedlings establish. Thin seedlings to 9 inches apart once they develop their first true leaves.
Deadhead spent pompom flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming throughout the season. Pinch back young plants when they're 6 inches tall to encourage bushier growth and more flower stems. For a taller, more open form, you can skip pinching, but these plants naturally develop as compact, full bushes.
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