Nigella damascena • Open-Pollinated

JOY MAX SCALE ✦✦✦✦✦

✦ Super easy to direct sow from seed

✦ Despite its delicate appearance, it’s a very tough plant, drought and cold hardy

✦ It creates tons of wonderfully weird seed pods, those you don't harvest can be thrown into areas of the garden you wouldn't mind nigella to volunteer

✦ This mix includes many colors: blue, mauve, pink, purple, and white blooms

✦ The blooms, while incredible, only last for 2-3 weeks so succession sowing is a good idea.

Basic Growing Information

Direct sow. Weed area prior to planting. Lightly press into moistened soil surface. Sow 3-4 times every 2-3 weeks early in season for continuous flower/pod production. Cover lightly with soil as light is required for germination. 

Tips for Growing Nigella

• Plant in a border as the foliage, though airy, can be quite bushy. 

• Harvest cut flowers, when flower buds are fully colored or pods have begun to develop. Dried: When seed pods are firm to touch.

• The blooms on each plant usually last than a month so succession sow to keep them coming. It gives you an opportunity to choose exactly where you space the plants, seeing the previous seedlings. The seedlings are quite easy to tell apart from weeds as they have distinctive, fennel-like foliage.

• Nigella has edible flowers and seeds but the rest of the plant is toxic (like stomach upset not death). 

Companion Planting

Plant behind strawberries for the sweetest cottagecore border.