A while back I sowed some love in a mist (Nigella damascena) seeds.
They are one of my favourite flowers.
They took what seemed like forever to germinate. After weeks of seemingly nothing happening, the tiniest green shoots finally appeared through the soil and, from there, they slowly started to grow.
By the end of July, buds had appeared. Then, of course, the weather changed.
It became cooler and rainy. Each day, when I came home from work, I checked to see if there were any flowers. Another wait ensued. Then, finally, one blue flower appeared. Then another. And another.
By now, I’ve lost count!
Love-in-a-mist flowers
Love-in-a-mist is such a pretty flower, with delicate, feathery foliage surrounding the flowers like a little green mist.
The flowers are usually a beautiful cornflower blue, although there are also white and pink varieties.
I can never resist a blue flower!
I sowed mine directly outdoors in May. Being further north, it is usually August before I see the flowers, but that vibrant blue is always worth the wait in my opinion.
Loved by pollinators
Of course, I was supposed to thin out the seedlings, but I never quite got round to it.
And I’m rather glad I didn’t.
The flowers ended up overflowing, looking like little wildflower meadows in my zinc pots. Happily, the pollinators loved them too.
So I might just repeat my “mistake” next year, ignore the instructions on the seed packet and leave them to their own happy abundance.
There is a lesson in there somewhere, I think!
Love-in-a-mist seed pods
Once the flowers have finished, seed heads form.
I usually pick a few stems and allow the seed heads to dry indoors. They make interesting little shapes in their own right, and the seeds can be collected for growing more flowers the following year.
And that’s one of the things I love about gardening. A handful of seeds can give you flowers for the summer and, if you let them, more seeds for the following year.
Why is it called love-in-a-mist?
The name makes perfect sense when you see the plant.
The delicate, feathery foliage surrounds the flowers, making the blue blooms appear to be sitting in a little green mist.
The plant is also commonly known as Nigella, with Nigella damascena being the botanical name.
For me, though, it will always be love-in-a-mist.
It’s a flower that makes you wait, but when that first beautiful blue bloom finally appears, it feels like the wait was worth it.
Thanks for stopping by,
Paula
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Other gardening posts from Typewriter Girl to enjoy:-
Embracing Spring: Daffodils, Blackthorn, and Bluebells
These are beautiful! The wispy look and the color make this a showstopper. I think the “mistake” needs to be made year after year. 💟😊
Oh yes I totally agree 😊
Lovely photos! These have been the unexpected stars of my own garden this year. I scattered the seeds liberally and left them to do their thing! As they are wildflowers I took the view that in the ‘wild’ there would be no thinning or other intervention so I would just leave Mother Nature to do her work. Mine germinated quickly and wen from strength to strength; like yours, they are overflowing from their pots, and the odd one has even emerged from between flag stones and in the midst of gravel where seeds must have been blown. The vast majority are blue but a few have been white or a pale lilac colour. They are still going strong.
Oh thank you. Yes I have a few white and lilac ones too but aren’t they great. I think the seedheads are supposed to be lovely too so we have that to look forward to 😊😊
Those are beautiful!!
Thank you 😊
They’re absolutely beautiful, I’m glad they bloomed at last 🙂
Thank you 🙂
What beautiful pictures. 🙂
Thank you 🙂
They are lovely and very unusual. I never thin seedlings out either… I hate pulling them up in case the others don’t grow.
I just love that cornflower blue….
I just can’t resist a blue flower 😊