Love-in-a-mist Miss Jekyll Blue Seeds - Nigella damascena

Love-in-a-mist 'Miss Jekyll Blue' also named Nigella damascena, bears from spring to summer adorable, marvellously simple and delicate, pale blue nigella flowers above an airy foliage. The flowers then turn into original fruits; round, papery capsules embellished with very fine 'hair' and that are very decorative in dried flower bouquets. Sow this delightful variety directly outside like stardust, in a rock garden or in sunny flowerbeds, without fear of disturbing neighbouring plants. It makes excellents flowers for bouquets. Foliage, flowers, fruit: everything is decorative with this easy-to-grow plant!

Nigella damascena is an annual plant of the buttercup family (Renonculaceae) native to the Near East. In the wild, it grows in uncultivated, rocky areas, roadsides, and in the most difficult of soils. It is an annual plant whose life span does not exceed a few months, but which spontaneously and generously self-seeds. Very hardy and fast-growing, this plant spends the winter as a seedling and in spring forms a beautiful clump of feathery foliage, like that of fennel, and grows up to 50 cm high and 20 to 30 cm wide. 'Miss Jekyll Blue' is a variety characterized by its simple, light sapphire blue flowers. Flowering takes place from May to August, depending on when the seeds were sown. Its beautiful flowers feature tapered petals, surrounded by a lace collar and are nestled in the foliage. They are about 3 cm in diameter and develop into round, pinkish-brown capsules that become silky when ripe and contain a large quantity of small black seeds.

Being one of the plants commonly cultivated in monastic gardens, the Damascus nigella, so aptly named by the English 'Love-in-a-mist', is one of the easiest plants to grow in well-drained soils. It is charming and perfect everywhere and goes well with all the other plants: in natural gardens, rock gardens, perennial beds, where it contrasts beautifully with coarse textured plants. It can also be combined with shrub roses, old roses, bushes or botanical roses. Love-in-a-mist colonizes open spaces in record time and can quickly create a colourful, rural setting with Lady phacelia, Honeywort, sainfoins, Californian poppies, perennial flax, rosemary or wild chicory.