The intense colour of the cornflower is an almost indescribably beautiful blue. The tightly formed bud offers up only a hint of the vibrant petals it hides until the flower is almost ready to emerge. Then, when those petals burst forth, their vivid colour is deserving of a name all its own: cornflower blue.
Cornflowers come from humble beginnings. They grew wild in the cornfields (wheatfields) of Europe, from which they derive their name, and it is said that they were tucked into the buttonholes of hopeful bachelors in times gone by. Now, their striking blooms lend their name to the colour of the world's most valuable sapphires.
Meg
p.s. Margaret Olley said of her own work, "My paintings are about celebrating life." How wonderful then that so many of her paintings featured fruits and flowers, jugs and cups and teapots. Ordinary life. Worth painting. Worth celebrating.
The beautiful and blue bloom of a cornflower.
Artists too have sought to capture the beauty and colour of cornflowers on their canvases. Australia's Margaret Olley, whose vibrant still-life paintings I adore, loved flowers and painted them prolifically. She produced many featuring cornflowers, including this one held in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
If you can imagine some of this beautiful blue in your own garden, then you can grow cornflowers. They love a sunny position and well-drained soil. This year, I have grown them among the happy jumble that is my main vegie patch. They are just coming into flower now and I look forward to each one opening up and greeting me with a distinctive burst of cornflower blue. 
Just a hint of the colour to come.
Meg
p.s. Margaret Olley said of her own work, "My paintings are about celebrating life." How wonderful then that so many of her paintings featured fruits and flowers, jugs and cups and teapots. Ordinary life. Worth painting. Worth celebrating.
You know how much I love the humble cornflower Meg, just love them, and I love the work of Margaret Olley! We took the kids to the Art Gallery at Murwillumbah a few months ago to see the amazing display they have there on the life and work of this eccentric woman.
ReplyDeleteI haven't made it down to the Art Gallery at Murwillumbah to see their display on Margaret Olley. I must do that as I'm sure it's fascinating especially because she was such a fascinating woman and painter. I have just borrowed a book about her life, through my local library, that you might be interested in. "Margaret Olley: Far From a Still Life" written by Meg Stewart. Happy reading!
DeleteMay do, if I can ever find the time!
DeleteMaybe it's just that time when your own life is far from still, Cheryl. Perhaps it won't always be that way. Meg:)
DeleteI've never grown cornflowers before, but after seeing how vibrantly coloured they are I will be adding some to the insect garden very soon.
ReplyDeleteBees and butterflies love cornflowers, Jan. Who could resist those blue blooms? As those blooms fade, regular deadheading will encourage more flowers. Meg:)
DeleteThey are beautiful aren't they. Sadly they are a rare sight in cornfields in the UK these days but many people grow them in their gardens as we do too!
ReplyDeleteI read that they began to disappear from cornfields when pesticides were introduced:( Thankfully, they are pretty easy to grow in gardens so we can still enjoy their blue beauty.
DeleteCornflowers are one of my favourite flowers Meg. The blue is such an incredible colour. I also really like the blue colour of the flower of the native ground cover that is commonly known as scurvy weed.
ReplyDeleteWe have scurvy weed growing here too, Sherri. I didn't plant it, it just made itself at home!
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