In cold areas, it may be a little late to sow in the open garden, so it’s best to sprinkle Nigella seeds on top of potting mix in a container and thin them after germination. The best thing about growing Nigella in cold climates is that you get a second chance – you can sow again in early spring.
But in warmer (especially frost-free) areas, there’s still time to sow Nigella in the garden. This is best done where the plants are to grow as they don’t transplant easily. Choose a sunny or partly shaded position. Scatter seeds on top of the soil and cover very lightly.
Feed the young plants regularly with Thrive All-Purpose and change to Thrive Flower & Fruit as the plants reach the flowering stage. They’ll eventually reward you by producing gem-coloured blooms that nestle in the ferny foliage. Because the flowers are cupped in this fern-like ‘nest’, Nigella is sometimes called ‘Love in a Mist’ or, alternatively, ‘Devil-in-the-Bush’.
Remove spent flowers in the early stages to encourage further blooming, but later in the season leave some of the bladder-like seed pods to develop. They can be used in dried arrangements or left to form the edible seeds.