Nigella Di Damasco, Love in the Mist

Nigella Di Damasco, is also called "Love in a Mist" because of the lacy, airy foliage that surrounds the flowers. It's pretty in the garden when it blooms in shades of pink, blue, and white. But the real beauty arrives when the flowers develop puffy, purple-striped seed pods. After the pods develop, cut the plants and hang them upside down to dry them for use in wreaths and other dried floral designs. The flowers bloom in late spring or early summer and it will self-seed if you leave some of the pods in the garden.  As an annual that does not like to be transplanted, love-in-a-mist is best grown from seed. The plant easily reseeds itself and if you are lucky, the seeds overwinter in the garden and burst to life in the spring!