Love-in-a-mist Albion Green Pod Seeds - Nigella damascena

Organic Nigella damascena 'Albion Green Pod' is a variety of Nigella with green pods, a discreet plant with tremendous charm. It produces a simple, white flowering above extremely delicate foliage. Once the flowers fade, curiously inflated, decorative capsules adorned with fine filaments appear. You can sow this selection in spring or autumn (in mild climates), staggering the sowings by 15 days to spread out the flowering. An unmissable annual, excellent for showcasing in the garden or in a vase!

Nigella damascena 'Albion Green Pod' is a horticultural selection. The species, Damask Nigella, is an annual plant of the Ranunculaceae family. Native to the Mediterranean basin (North Africa, Turkey, Middle East), it grows in uncultivated, rocky soils, along paths, in the most barren lands. It's a plant that self-sows spontaneously and generously. This very hardy and fast-growing plant overwinters as a young plant to form a beautiful tuft of feathery foliage in spring, like that of fennel.
The 'Albion Green Pod' Nigella reaches 50 to 60 cm above the ground. Flowering occurs from May to August, depending on the sowing date. Autumn sowings flower before summer in milder regions. Measuring 3 to 4 cm in diameter, its pure white flowers have 5 petaloid sepals and 5 or 10 petals that give them a rather airy appearance. The centre is occupied by 5 long green pistils with often curved tips, surrounded by yellow-green stamens. This nectar-rich flowering delights bees and other pollinators. After flowering, the pistils unite in a capsule that remains green, surrounded by the lace collar that enhances their beauty. These original, decorative seed heads contain a large number of small black seeds that germinate very easily in light soil. You can cut the stems that bear them before the capsules open and simply hang them upside down to dry and create superb dried bouquets.

Damask Nigella 'Albion Green Pod' is easy to grow, it blends perfectly with most other plants, in a rockery, on a slope, or in a flower bed. Its slightly wild appearance will also fit perfectly in a natural garden, where it will self-sow randomly. The lightness of Nigella is valuable in the garden. Sow it among your German irises, herbaceous peonies, and Oriental poppies. You can also quickly create a charming and colourful setting by mixing it with cosmos, poppies, or annual poppies.