centaurea macrocephala and centaurea gigantea

I thought I would share my experience with these two plants that are fairly
new to my garden.  

Centaurea (batchelor button family) macrocephala (big head) is quite a
subject of interest when seen in my garden by visitors.  The leaves are
similar to the centaurea family, but the flowers, before opening, look
rather pineapple-ish, and when opening, at half mast, look rather like a
golden yellow, punk rock pineapple.  The plant is about 4' tall with flower
spikes.

I tried this plant after seeing it in a slide show of someone's visit to
England.  When I heard they could be dried, I had to try it.  I have cut
some for drying, but I can't vouch for how they take this treatment.  The
plant blooms about a month and is then just sorta "there" afterward, but I
have mine growing near rudbekia and a butterfly bush, so the green just fits
in once done.

Centaurea gigantea is only in it's second year in my garden.  I had only
read about it as having yellow, scabiosa (pincushion) like flowers, and
between yellow and scabiosa as a description I was sold.  Last year the
plant just grew in my garden; didn't do much.

This year it is blooming and I will definitely add more of this apparently
care-free perennial to my beds.  This plant is tall, I'd guess about 8'?
But it's not a solid mass.  The growth habit is more open and airy, similar
to verbena bonariensis, if you're familiar with that.  There are large basal
leaves, but then thin, airy stems rise to the 8' heigh, and atop are the
baby yellow pincusion flowers.  I have this growing with a rose, Therese
Bugnet, who herself gets about 8' in height with perfect-pink flowers, as
well as a vitex agnus castus shrub (wonderful blue flower spikes in late
summer -- the bees adore this one).  I can't comment yet on how long the
plant blooms, but I'll keep you posted.

As Mikey says, "Try 'em, you'll like 'em!"

Susan Saxton, zone 6b

For mine is a little old-fashioned garden where the flowers come together to
praise the Lord and teach all who look upon them to do likewise.
Celia Thaxter

I AM in shape.  ROUND is a shape!

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