Love in a Mist

I have always had a love for wildflowers and cottage garden favorites. One in particular that I always enjoy during the summer months would be Nigella damascena ‘Miss Jekyll Dark Blue'. I first purchased this plant from Annie's Annuals in 2020, and since then, I've had blooms year after year. It has finely divided leaves that look delicate and airy, this particular variety is dark blue, growing between 1 and 2 feet high. I have also seen it in white. It was discovered in 1753 by Linnaeus and is in the Ranunculaceae family. It is native to Southern Europe, North Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. Its common names are Love in a Mist and Devil in a Bush. It will grow in poor soil conditions and needs very little water. It is easy to grow from plants or by seed. Once in your garden, it will reseed freely. It is a pretty blue flower that does well in fresh floral arrangements. After the flowers drop, it will form a beautiful, papery seed pod, which works well in dried floral pieces. I recently got to use the white variety in my wedding creations, and it held up beautifully! Give it a shot if you're into cottage garden flowers.

Nigella pods. photos by Heather Hamilton