Cicely Mary Barker's Cornflower Fairy

'Mid scarlet of poppies and gold of the corn,
In wide-spreading fields were the Cornflowers born;
But now I look round me, and what do I see? 
That lilies and roses are neighbours to me!
There's a beautiful lawn, there are borders and beds, 
Where all kinds of flowers raise delicate heads;
For this is a garden, and here, a Boy Blue,
I live and am merry the whole summer through.
My blue is the blue that I always have worn,
And still I remember the poppies and corn.

One of the best known wildflowers of Europe and northern Asia, cornflower will flower for months if deadheads are removed regularly.  They grow well in well-drained soil in full sun.  Propagate from seed in spring or autumn.

Cornflower is used in French herbal medicine as a remedy for the eyes - a strained infusion is used as an eyewash and the petals applied as a poultice.  The seeds have been used as a mild laxative for children.