...and Cornflowers too......

..........I seem to have lots of blue things in the garden at the moment! Scillas, Muscari, Bluebells, Cornflowers, Pulmonaria and Iris on the way! I read once that to find true blue coloured flowers was difficult - don't know where the Author got that idea.

A lot of Cornflowers are Annuals but mine are the perennial ones - Centaurea Montana - which is a rhizomatous perennial with simple or lobed leaves, hairy beneath, and blue flower-heads 5cm across, reddish in the centre, from late spring to summer.

BOUI regarding Cornflowers! :-

1) When mixed with alum, the blue cornflower can be used as a dye.

2) In folklore, cornflowers were worn by young men in love; if the flower faded too quickly, it was taken as a sign that the man's love was not returned.

3) Growing cornflowers will bring wealth, prosperity, fortune and friendship.

4) Cyanus (blue) was the name of the cornflower from Mediterranean antiquity up to the 18th century. The scientific name of the genus, Centaurea (given by Linnaeus) was derived from the story of the ‘centaur’ Chiron, Achilles’ adviser. According to Greek myth, Achilles was wounded with a poisoned arrow (by Herakles), and his wound was healed by applying cornflower plants.

A mixed morning in respect of the weather - cloudy but with some sun. It rained overnight and has freshened things up beautifully. The temperature at 10.30am is 52 Deg.F.

Have a lovely day.