Nigella Midnight Blue - seeds

Nigella Midnight Blue is a Spanish Nigella with large flowers that range from blue to dark blue around a very dark centre occupied by a curious almost black hooked pistil and dark purple stamens. These flowers are also precious for their architecture, nestled in cloudy foliage. Blooming longer than other Nigellas, in spring or summer depending on the climate, papillose Nigellas have original and decorative seed heads which are good for fresh or dried bouquets. They are sown directly in place, in light soil and in the sun, in early autumn or spring depending on the region.

The Midnight Blue Spanish Nigella is a fast-growing annual plant belonging to the Ranunculaceae family. The species is native to the Mediterranean region, particularly in Spain and Portugal, under hot and dry climates, in corn fields and on loamy-sandy or clay-loamy soil. "Midnight Blue" is a horticultural variety. It produces sturdy and branching stems, averaging 60-70 cm (24-28in) high (depending on growing conditions), adorned with numerous leaves divided into fine linear strips. It flowers from May-June to September, depending on the sowing date. The rather large flowers measure up to 5 cm (2in) in diameter. They emerge as yellowish buds, veined with green, then open up to petals that range from blue to dark violet-blue around a large pistil shaped like a "jesters cap" and numerous black stamens. The flowering is nectar-rich. The fruit is a fairly large capsule, topped with horizontally spreading styles. It contains smooth, grey-brown seeds.

Belonging to medicinal gardens, Love-in-a-Mist is very easy to grow in all well-drained soils. It is perfect everywhere: in natural gardens, rockeries and perennial beds where it lightens the flowering. It pairs well with bush roses and shrubby salvias. It fills empty spaces in record time and quickly creates a colourful, countryside composition with phacelias, California poppies, perennial flax or wild chicory. Midnight Blue Nigella is good for creating refined bouquets, combined with other blue or white flowers.