Bachelor Buttons
November 3rd, 2005· Bachelor buttons are also known as coneflowers.
· These flowers are great to plant in flower beds, raised, meadow and cottage gardens.
· Bachelor buttons are easy to care for and look beautiful in dried flower arrangements. They are long lasting in cut bouquets.
· Before planting bachelor buttons, place the seed in your freezer for 48 hours to encourage germination.
· Cover bachelor buttons with very little soil – about one tenth of an inch, but be sure they are completely covered. Light hinders germination.
· Bachelor buttons germinate in 10 days. Thin the new plants to 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 10 inches.) If they are any closer together they will choke themselves out.
· Bachelor buttons are perennials and seed themselves. They will bloom year after year without worrying about planting seeds. Nature does it for you.
· Bachelor buttons like full sun and can grow up to 60 centimeters (2 feet) tall with a spread of 30 centimeters (12 inches.) Be sure they have lots of room to achieve this spread.
· Bachelor buttons will grow in all climates. They like well drained, alkaline soil.
· The most common colors of bachelor buttons are blue and white. The purple ones are beautiful as well.
by Mary M. Alward
November 3rd, 2005 at 11:52 am
I didn’t realise cone flowers were also called Bachelor Buttons, so have learnt something today! I love all the flower facts (can you tell I love flowers?!) and am dying to see more.
November 3rd, 2005 at 9:39 pm
Bachelor Buttons are beautiful and they come up year after year. I agree with Philippa. Love the flower facts. Bring on more.
November 5th, 2005 at 3:41 am
I never knew what a Bachelor Button was until I read this and looked at the picture. Thanks
November 5th, 2005 at 9:48 pm
During my childhood my mother had a beautiful flower garden. We didn’t have much money, but the house was full of love - and flowers. Mom traded seed and grew the most beautiful flowers in our small rural town. Bachelor Buttons was one of her favorite flowers. Thanks for the memories.
November 5th, 2005 at 11:39 pm
The photo looks vaguely familiar. I think we have a purple flower like this in our garden. They are very fringy on the outer edge. Interesting facts. I’m not much of a gardener, but enjoy learning about things like this.
November 15th, 2005 at 10:37 pm
I have large flower gardens in my yard and especially enjoy planting perennials that are old stock. By this I mean older species and varieties, such as shrub roses, climbers, delphinums, lilacs, hollyhocks, bachelor buttons, iris etc.
I’m off to read some of the other interesting flower trivia.
June 6th, 2007 at 10:35 am
The finches love the seed! I always leave the dead flowers up all through the winter.