Bachelor's Button 'Classic Fantastic'

Classic Fantastic Bachelor’s Buttons (Centaurea cyanus)

Classic Fantastic is a dreamy, cool-toned mix of sky blue, deep indigo, and rich purple Bachelor’s Buttons, creating a harmonious palette that evokes vintage charm and meadow-like elegance. Each star-shaped bloom perches atop sturdy, upright stems, adding height, texture, and movement to garden beds, borders, wildflower patches, or cutting gardens. Perfect for cottage-style arrangements and fresh or dried bouquets, this mix brings continuous color and a timeless, old-world appeal to any planting.

An easy-care annual, Classic Fantastic thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, producing prolific blooms from early summer through to the first frost. Deadheading encourages extended flowering, while leaving a few seed heads allows gentle self-sowing for next season’s displays. Highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, this lively blend offers not just beauty but also biodiversity. Low-maintenance, reliable, and endlessly charming, Classic Fantastic is a must-have for gardeners seeking a vivid, long-lasting burst of color. Also known as Cornflower or Bluebottle.

DETAILS:

QTY: 100

TYPE: Hardy Annual

SITE: Full Sun

DEPTH: 1/4"

GERMINATION: 7-14 days at 16-18°C

HEIGHT: Approx. 36"

SPACING: 9-12"

PINCH: No

HOW TO GROW:

Direct Seed (recommended): Sow seeds outdoors as soon as the soil can be worked in early spring. Cover seeds lightly and keep the soil surface moist until emergence. Once the first true leaves appear, thin seedlings to a final spacing of 6–9" apart. In areas with mild winters, you can also sow in the fall for earlier blooms the following spring.

Transplant (alternative): Start seeds indoors 3–4 weeks before the last frost. Once the first true leaves appear, transplant into larger containers. Grow at 10–12°C  at night for several weeks to help develop a strong root ball. Harden off and transplant outdoors after the last frost.

Pinching: Pinching is not necessary for Bachelor's Button. However, deadheading spent flowers is highly recommended to encourage more blooms throughout the season.

Soil Preference and Watering: Bachelor's Button prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Keep the soil consistently moist during germination and establishment. Once mature, it is a drought-tolerant plant.

Fertilizing: Fertilizing is not required for Bachelor's Button. It performs best in lean to average soil.

Harvesting: For bouquets, harvest stems when the flowers are fully open. For drying, harvest at the same stage and hang bunches upside down in a dark, well-ventilated area for 2–3 weeks. This annual may also self-seed, creating a naturalized look in your garden.