Cornflower Black Ball

English Country Gardens Verified independent store

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The moody, sophisticated member of the cornflower family. Despite its name, Black Ball is not truly black but a deep, sumptuous velvet maroon-chocolate — the colour of crushed blac kberries, of vintage velvet, of old Dutch oil paintings. It transforms a standard cottage border into something altogether more considered.All the easy virtues of the cornflower family — ultra-hardy, cut-and-come-again, thriving in poor soil, beloved by bees — with a colour that works as beautifully in a dark, moody arrangement as it does in a hot border of reds and oranges. Listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators. Centaurea cyanus 'Black Ball' — Hardy Annual (H7) Height: 75–90cm | Flowers: June–September Approximately 200 seeds per packet Direct sow September for early blooms, or March–May — do not transplant Full sun; thrives in poor, well-drained soil — do not over-feed RHS Plants for Pollinators listed — petals edible Grow it with Ammi majus for a monochrome combination of real elegance — dark velvet against white lace. Show more