Creative ideas crafted and shared by our local florist, Sophia Mason.

This month we’re displaying:

Cornflower

Wild and wonderful

Once upon a time, Centaurea cyanus grew like weeds in cornfields – that’s where cornflowers get their nickname. It grew happily throughout the UK since the Iron Age, sprinkling the landscape with its soft bluey purpleness from late spring to early autumn and providing lots of lovely nectar for bees.

But as farming methods changed, cornflowers became less welcome in the fields, and these days they’re so rarely found growing wild that they’re officially classed as endangered. So if you have them in your garden, thank you! You’re helping to keep an ancient beauty alive.

Combinations

Blue-purple, maroon and white flowers will often grow side by side in a patch of Centaurea, and so, indoors, displaying a mass of all the shades together gives a beautiful effect. Cut the stems to different lengths and leave on the unopened, pale green buds to add texture. Or, mix your cornflowers with other delicate blooms in yellowy oranges (geums or goldenrod, perhaps) to make both colours pop. Soft pinks and pastel shades will give a more subtle look. 

Preparation

Snip cornflowers from your flowerbed early in the morning, as that’s when the stems are naturally most full of water. Take a bucket of water with you and pop the stems straight in, so there’s no time for the cut bits to dry out; this will help to stop them drooping when indoors.

Once inside, strip off all the leaves that would be below the water line before you put them in the vase, because they’ll go mushy and stink if they’re submerged. Use flower food in the water, and top it up often – cornflowers are thirsty!

Display

Keep them somewhere as cool as possible and away from the fruit bowl, because the chemical given off by ripening fruit will make your cornflowers go over more quickly. They should last for up to a week.

Keep

To dry cornflowers, hang them upside down in bunches in a cool, well-aired place. As long as you do this straight away after cutting them, they’ll keep their colour beautifully and you’ll have those stunning purples all year round.

Sophia Mason is a florist based in a little studio in Cam. She offers flowers for all occasions, with a focus on sustainability and supporting local growers. Find out more on the Sophia Mason Flowers website