Position: full sun
Soil: well-drained soil
Rate of growth: average
Hardiness: hardy annual

Piercing, bright blue flowers with ruffled petals and violet-blue centres appear from early to late summer among lance-shaped, mid-green leaves. Once a common sight in cornfields, this lovely annual is perfect for naturalising in a sunny wildflower meadow and is a magnet for butterflies and bees. The flower petals are edible and have a clove-like taste.
 
Garden care: Wild flowers prefer poor soils, so do not apply fertiliser. Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering. In autumn, cut the faded flowerheads down to the ground and compost the dead stems.
 
Sow: March-May or September - October
 
Flowering: July - August-September or May -July
 
Approximate quantity: 100 seeds.