Seeds. You'll receive a sealed packet of cornflower seed and nothing living. The plants come from your own sowing: cornflowers are among the easiest flowers to raise from seed, and most packets are up within two weeks.

The mix contains blue, pink, white and burgundy, with some lavender. Because it's a natural blend, the ratio varies from packet to packet and blue is usually the most common. We can't promise an exact split, and a plant's color isn't visible until it flowers.

Direct sow outdoors in spring once the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed to about 15 °C (60 °F). Where winters are mild, sow again in early autumn: the seedlings overwinter as small rosettes and flower earlier and taller the next year.

For an indoor start, sow 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost and transplant carefully. Cornflowers dislike root disturbance, so biodegradable pots help.

Yes. Choose a pot at least 25 cm (10 in) deep with drainage holes, use a free-draining mix and place it in full sun. These are tall plants, so give the pot a sheltered spot or add a few twigs for support.

Each plant is an annual and lives for one season. But cornflowers self-seed freely: leave a few flower heads to ripen and you'll usually find volunteer seedlings the following spring. You can also collect the dry seed and store it for sowing where you want it.

Yes. This is open-pollinated Centaurea cyanus with no genetic modification and no fungicide or insecticide coating. It's suitable for seed saving and for gardens where you'd rather not use treated seed.

Approx. 2,000 seeds per packet (about 25 g), with a tested germination rate of 90% or higher. Sown thinly and thinned to the recommended spacing, that's enough for roughly 20 to 30 m² (200 to 300 sq ft) of border, or a long cutting row plus several containers.

Cornflower petals are edible and the plant is generally listed as non-toxic to dogs and cats. The seeds are sold for sowing, not for eating, so store the packet out of reach like any other garden product.

Mostly. Cornflowers are rarely a first choice for deer or rabbits, though very hungry animals may nibble young seedlings. Netting the bed for the first few weeks solves it.

The usual causes are cold soil (below 10 °C / 50 °F), seed left uncovered on the surface, or soil that dried out completely. Give them a full three weeks, keep the surface moist and re-sow if needed.

If a packet fails despite following the instructions, contact us with your order number and the sowing date.

Seed ships in a sealed packet inside a padded mailer so it arrives dry. Keep any unsown seed cool, dark and dry (a sealed jar in a cupboard or the fridge works well) and it will stay viable for two to three years.