Nigella damascena 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. A hardy annual, Nigella can be direct seeded in fall in the southern half of the U.S. or very early in spring in the northern half.
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