Nigella Transformer

An unusual twist on the classic cottage garden flower, Nigella Transformer adds intriguing texture with its uniquely shaped flowers and upright, seed pods. Unlike the Nigella ‘Love in a Mist’ that produces watermelon-like pods, these curious seed pods have long tentacles and are pretty unusual looking. Used fresh or dried the seed pods are a great filler in bouquets. Cut flower production just 12 to 16 weeks.

Growing to a height of 50 to 60cm, the plants have fine ferny green foliage and produce unusual tall yellow flowers. This species is also a good choice for borders and mass plantings the plants tolerate some drought once well-established. Deadhead to prolong blooming.

Once you see Nigella in bloom, you will always recognise it by its unique mist of airy bracts and foliage. It earns its common name of Love-in-a-Mist from the tangle of ferny, fennel like foliage that forms a mist around the flowers. The airy foliage makes a nice complement to broader leaved plants and is a great filler for use with cut flowers in a vase.

Nigella is ridiculously easy to grow. A hardy annual, it can be sow early in spring or sown directly where it is to flower. Sowing to flowering takes just three months. The flowers are well suited for traditional cottage garden settings or plant in a meadow where the soil is a little on the dry side and not too rich. Once the petals drop, the blossoms transform into little fairy lanterns and the seed pods can be dried for winter decorations indoors.

Nigella seeds are traditionally used as a spice in Indian, Middle Eastern and North African cuisines, where their aromatic flavour and crunch make them particularly useful in bread and pastries. They are also used in curries, soups and stews.

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