Spanish Love-in-a-Mist Blue

What Spanish Love-in-a-Mist Blue is

Spanish Love-in-a-Mist Blue (Nigella hispanica) is an annual flower of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). Nigella is a very beautiful and delicate plant that will captivate you with its grace.

A strikingly hardy plant with fine feathery foliage and rich blue to purple flowers with dark red stamens and purple seed pods.

A classic plant for cottage gardens that grows well in sunny gravel gardens.

Grows well among tall annuals or perennials.

Nigella (“love-in-a-mist”) has airy flowers in delicate clouds of foliage, and its decorative seed pods are great for dried bouquets. The seeds of Nigella sativa (black cumin) are also a spice.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 83%
• Seeds per packet: 722–978 pcs (1 g)
• Seed origin: France
• Sowing: February and March; direct
• Flowering: May – September
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Spanish Love-in-a-Mist Blue

Spanish Love-in-a-Mist Blue seeds are sown in February and March. The plants flower from May to September. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Spanish Love-in-a-Mist Blue

• Sowing method: direct
• Depth: 0.5–1 cm
• Spacing: 15–20 cm
• Germination: 10–14 days at 15–20 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Sow outdoors in spring for summer flowers in full sun or the sunniest spot possible. For early flowers next year, sow outdoors in August–September or indoors in October. Scatter the seeds in the garden and keep them moist until they germinate. Ideal germination temperature. 18-20°C. Germination takes about 10-21 days. The plant prefers prepared, well-drained, fertilised soil. Cut the flowers regularly to encourage growth and extend the flowering period. Flowering: spring to autumn.

Sow directly in autumn or early spring; it dislikes transplanting. Self-seeds.

Flowering and uses

The pods are cut for drying when they turn brown.

Frequently asked questions

When should Spanish Love-in-a-Mist Blue be sown?

The recommended sowing months are February and March. Sowing method: direct.

How many seeds are in the packet?

The packet contains 722–978 seeds, pack size 1 g.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 83%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.