Love-in-a-Mist
Nigella damascena
Take a close look at the flowers of nigella and you will fall in love with them. They are just so intricate and beautiful. Fortunately, when you do fall in love with them, these flowers are easy to grow and will often self-seed. The delicate flowers are shown off beautifully by the plant’s delicate, ferny foliage. And if the flowers aren’t enough, just wait for the seed pods!
Sow Sow in spring – making further sowings at fortnightly intervals to keep the flowery show going for as long as possible. If conditions are right, the plants will seed themselves in autumn for next spring’s flowers.
Grow They love sun and well-drained soil. Get the conditions right and the flowers will self-seed, so you may only ever need to make one sowing.
Uses Use the seedpods, fresh and dried, in floral arrangements. The petals and seeds are edible, Nigella looks good in pretty much any garden.