Bachelor's Button 'Lady Mauve'

Lady Mauve Bachelor’s Buttons (Centaurea cyanus)

Lady Mauve enchants with soft, romantic shades of dusty rose and lavender-mauve, bringing a gentle, vintage-inspired elegance to garden beds, cutting gardens, and pastel-themed borders. Each delicate, star-shaped bloom tops sturdy stems, creating airy movement and graceful texture that pairs beautifully with roses, peonies, and other soft-hued blooms. Perfect for romantic bouquets, cottage-style gardens, or pollinator-friendly plantings, Lady Mauve adds timeless charm and subtle sophistication to any floral display.

An easy-to-grow annual, Lady Mauve thrives in full sun with well-drained soil, producing abundant flowers from early summer until frost. Deadheading spent blooms encourages continuous flowering, while leaving a few to go to seed allows gentle self-sowing for the following season. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are irresistibly drawn to its nectar-rich flowers. Low-maintenance, endlessly charming, and perfect for both fresh and dried arrangements, Lady Mauve is a must-have for gardeners seeking soft, romantic color. Also known as Cornflower or Bluebottle.

DETAILS:

QTY: 75

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.