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Re: Centaureas

Rand B. Lee wrote:
> 
> I am extremely interested in gathering anecdotal information about the
> genus Centaurea and its garden uses among the medit-plants members. I
> know it includes some of the worst weeds known to Humanity, but surely I
> am not the only one who loves the less invasive species. Confess all to
> me, children!
 
 Rand 
Apart from occasionally growing "Cornflowers" (which I have always felt
are abit weedy and leggy) the two Centaureas which I am familiar with
are CC macrocephala and montana.

The former I came across in a garden where I used to work. The owner had
obtained some seed (where from I cannot now remember) and we found it
germinated freely and the resulting plants were large and handsome with
plenty of flowers backed by decorative (fringed, if I remember
correctly) brown bracts. Verdict, a good perennial for a large
herbaceous border and very happy in a "Mediterranean" situation.

Centaurea montana I have had in my own garden for many years. I have
always grown it "lean" up on the top of a rock wall, where it remains
quite short, say about 9" high and does not produce a great deal of
foliage. On this scale the flowers look very showy and effective. 

I also took a piece to another garden, where it experienced richer soil
and more shade. Under these conditions it made a large leafy plant  more
than a foot high and though I guess the flowers were the same size as
mine, in my opinion they had nowhere near the same impact.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand
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