Larkspurs prefer an open, sunny situa­tion, but because of their stature benefit from a little shelter from the wind and should in any event be provided with some twiggy support material while the plants are quite young. It is perfectly adequate to sow larkspurs during early spring in order to procure a summer display, but until recent times it was fashionable in the milder parts of the country to sow larkspur during early autumn for an early show.

The same was done with the cornflower, Centaurea cyanus, especially when early flowers were required for cutting. Like lark­spur, the cornflower is a very hardy and amenable character well able to flourish in all but the driest and shadiest of situations. I really like the traditional blue cornflower, but have to admit that some of the mixed strains like ‘Polka Dot’ are really quite charming and would not in any way offend a cottage garden. All have stiff flower stems crowned with colourful ruffs of petals, and tough bluish-green foliage with a mealy bloom. This is absent from the slightly different, but closely related sweet sultan, C. moschatus, in which the foliage is brighter green and more refined. Its flower heads are equally distinctive, appearing quite fluffy and embracing a colour range that extends beyond the blues, whites and pinks of the cornflower to embrace yellow and deep wine as well. Only mixed strains are available from seedsmen, but these are first class, producing long lasting flowers on good strong stems.