Nigella 'Miss Jekyll' Blue (Love-in-a-mist)
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Description
Nigella damascena 'Miss Jekyll' Blue Love-in-a-Mist 'Miss Jekyll' Blue
The classic cottage garden Nigella — the variety that defined the genus and against which all other Love-in-a-Mist are measured. Clear sky-blue semi-double flowers nestled within a misty ruff of fine, thread-fine, feathery green foliage, named after the legendary British garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, who famously used it to soften the edges of her formal borders. RHS Award of Garden Merit holder.
This is the Nigella that started it all. Gertrude Jekyll selected this clear sky-blue form from variable seed stocks in the early 20th century and gave her name to the variety that has been the cottage garden's classic Love-in-a-Mist for over a hundred years. Each flower is a perfect semi-double in clear sky-blue, the petals sitting nestled within a characteristic "ruff" of fine, thread-like, feathery green bracts — the famous "mist" that gives the genus its romantic common name. Reaching 45–60cm in height. Holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit — recognition reserved only for plants of consistently outstanding garden performance. Listed on RHS Plants for Pollinators. Produces minimal pollen, making it allergy-friendly. Deer resistant. Hardy annual.
The two-act performance: the show doesn't end when the petals fall. The centre of each flower swells into a magnificent balloon-like seed pod, striped with purple and green, that stands tall through autumn. These architectural pods are one of the most sought-after elements for dried flower arranging — they dry magnificently and last for months in winter arrangements.
A note on growing
Nigella is genuinely one of the easiest "scatter and grow" seeds. Direct sow only — Nigella has a sensitive taproot and resents transplanting. Sow direct outdoors in September for early flowers the following year, or March–May for summer blooms. Autumn sowing produces stronger, earlier-flowering plants. Scatter seeds onto finely raked soil and cover lightly (3mm deep). Germination 14–21 days.
Full sun (light shade tolerated). Average garden soil or even gravel — they don't need feeding. Rich soil produces more "mist" (leaves) and fewer "jewels" (flowers) — keep them lean for the most generous flowering. Maintenance is minimal: no staking required. If you want the seed pods for drying, leave the flowers to set seed naturally. If you want more flowers and a longer season, deadhead regularly. Self-seeds reliably; volunteer plants appear in subsequent years.
Where it shines
At the feet of shrub roses — Nigella 'Miss Jekyll' Blue is the classical companion underplanting for cottage roses, the soft blue mist of flowers and foliage covering bare soil and hiding the leggy thorny stems beautifully. In cottage borders for the quintessential romantic English summer look. As an "edge softener" along formal border edges — Gertrude Jekyll's original design use, where the misty foliage blurs the lines between formal planting and informal cottage character. In the cutting garden for romantic posies. As an architectural autumn seed-pod plant. In wildlife gardens for the high pollinator value.
Plant alongside
The classic combination: pair 'Miss Jekyll' Blue with shrub roses for the timeless English cottage rose-and-Nigella underplanting. For a warm cottage scheme, combine with Calendula 'Art Shades Mixed' — the apricot-and-cream of the Calendula provides a warm solid contrast to the cool airy blues of the Nigella. With Cornflower 'Blue Ball' for an all-blue cottage carpet at slightly different heights.
Delivery
The seeds will be dispatched direct to you by Bishy Barnabees. Please allow up to 5 days for delivery.
Delivery & Returns
Delivery:
Delivery to mainland UK is calculated at checkout. For all other areas and large orders please ask for a quote. Orders will be sent by express next day delivery (DPD). They will be dispatched on a next working day service, with the exception of Ireland where it may take two days. Please allow up to 48 hours for delivery in the UK as the couriers may have already been and collected on the day you send your order in. Smaller orders for pouches, pockets, bags and pots may be sent via Royal Mail delivery. Please ensure you supply an email address and a mobile so you can be updated about your delivery. Should you have any problems with your delivery, please contact us at sales@naturalgrower.co.uk.Special Deliveries
Saturday or weekday morning deliveries can be arranged, but there will be a surcharge. Please contact us to request a price for either of these delivery services. If you need a parcel sending outside of the UK, please contact us for a quote.Returns:
If you are not completely happy with any product that you have ordered from us, you may return it to us in its original condition any time within 14 calendar days from the date of dispatch. Products must be returned in their original condition. Please contact us at sales@naturalgrower.co.uk to arrange a return. If you return a product by post, you will need to pay the costs of returning the product to us and obtain proof of posting.
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Gardening organically is a more affordable and long term alternative to using chemical fertilisers. Natural Grower products eliminate waste because the nutrients are slowly released to the plants as they need them. Over the long-term you save money because your soil health naturally improves, which in turn produces healthier, stronger, disease resistant plants. Chemical products may cost less financially in the short term, but they don’t provide any long-term benefits and the damage they do to the natural eco-system in the soil is costly.
Slow release for sustained growth
Organic fertilisers are broken down slowly by organisms in the soil to produce a more measured, consistent, natural release of nutrients. This results in uniform growth with strong stems and leaves, unlike chemical fertilisers which provide a sudden boost resulting in tall lanky plants. Stronger plants are more resistant to disease, and with the presence of mycorrizhal fungi to strengthen the roots, the plants, soil and fungi all work together long-term to create the perfect natural eco-system.
Love your land
The organic matter in Natural Grower will help keep your soil or compost in optimum condition, retain moisture over the dry summer months and improve the health and structure of your soil. The presence of natural Mycorrhizal fungi in our products enhances root growth, enabling plants to extract nutrients and absorb water more efficiently from the soil or compost. By using our products you will be supporting and enhancing the natural eco-system in the soil.
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