Strawflower  Mix 
 
Profuse bloomers for fresh or dried arrangements.
Tall, well-branched plants produce flowers 2–2 1/2" across. Fully open blooms reveal contrasting fiery-orange center. Also known as bracted strawflower.
 
Details: 
Life Cycle: Annual
Site: Full sun
Height: 36-42”
Avg Germinate : 7-10 Days
Days to maturity: 80-90 days 
Seed Depth: Surface, press into the soil
Plant spacing: 9-12”
Approx seeds per packet :50
 
How to Grow:
 
Sowing Direct:  
Prepare the ground well and rake to a fine tilth. Add a complete fertiliser or mix in plenty of compost prior to planting. If sowing more than one annual in the same bed, mark the sowing areas with a ring of sand and label. 
Sow seeds finely onto the surface of the soil as the plants need ample room to grow. Press the seeds in lightly with your hand and water using a fine spray attachment. Keep soil moist during germination.

The seedlings will appear in rows and can be easily told from other seedlings. Thin them out as necessary so they are finally  10 to 15" apart. Carefully replant thinned seedlings elsewhere in the garden. 
 
Cultivation:

During the spring and summer months, fertilize the plants monthly with a balanced organic fertiliser diluted to ½ the strength recommended on the label. Water plants well and allow to dry before watering again but do not allow the soil to become bone dry, or the plant will die. Remove spent flowers to encourage further blooming. In the autumn collect seed and discard the plants.
 
Harvest:
When cut young and dried, the open flowers and stalks preserve both colour and shape indefinitely. Harvest when the flowers are only partially open, (when 2 to 3 layers of petals have opened), they continue to open as they dry. Immediately, hang the flowers by the stem upside down in small bunches, in a dry, dark, open, airy place (the colour tends to fade if they are dried in the light).
 
Vase Life:
 
7-14 days