Nigella Mulberry Rose (Love-in-a-mist)
Description
Nigella damascena 'Mulberry Rose' Vintage Pink Love-in-a-Mist 'Mulberry Rose'
A masterpiece of colour evolution — paper-thin ruffled semi-double blooms that open delicate pale pastel pink and deepen as they mature into rich vintage rose-berry tones. Nestled in a ruff of fine ferny foliage, these flowers look like antique porcelain. 'Mulberry Rose' is the romantic dusky-pink Nigella for cottage gardeners who want quietly sophisticated colour over the brash classic blues.
If you find the standard blue Nigella a little too "wild" or too obvious, 'Mulberry Rose' is the variety to grow. This stunning variety produces paper-thin ruffled blooms that open a delicate pale pastel pink and deepen as they mature in the sun, transitioning into a rich vintage rose-berry tone. Unlike most flowers that fade in sunlight, 'Mulberry Rose' actually darkens — which means a single patch looks genuinely dynamic, with old and new flowers mingling at different stages of the colour evolution, creating a multi-tonal romantic effect that few other hardy annuals can match. Nestled in the characteristic ruff of fine ferny foliage, the flowers look like antique porcelain — soft, faded, sophisticated, romantic. Hardy annual (H3–H4).
The two-act performance: as with all Nigellas, the show doesn't end when the petals fall. The centre swells into a magnificent balloon-like seed pod striped in burgundy and green — the colours echoing the deepest mulberry tones of the mature flowers. These pods dry perfectly, providing architectural interest for winter vases and wreaths long after summer has faded. Listed on RHS Plants for Pollinators.
A note on growing
Like all Nigellas, direct sow only — sensitive taproot resents transplanting. Sow direct outdoors in September for early summer flowers, or March–May for summer-long display. Scatter onto raked soil and cover lightly (about 3mm deep). Germination 14–21 days.
Full sun or light shade. Average to lean soil — don't fertilise. Rich soil encourages "mist" (leaves) at the expense of "jewels" (flowers). Maintenance is minimal; Nigella has sturdy stems and rarely needs staking. Choose your priority: for a continuous supply of flowers for the vase, deadhead spent blooms regularly; for the striking burgundy seed pods for drying, leave flowers to set seed naturally.
Self-seeds reliably; volunteer offspring largely retain the pink colouration.
Where it shines
In romantic vintage cottage borders, where the pink-to-mulberry colour evolution creates a soft impressionistic effect across a season. As cut flowers for sophisticated vintage cottage bouquets and weddings — 'Mulberry Rose' brings genuinely uncommon colour to arrangements. In container plantings for refined cottage romance. As autumn architectural seed pods. In wildlife gardens for the high mid-summer pollinator value. As a self-seeding informal colony that brings vintage charm year after year.
Plant alongside
For a fresh romantic cottage cutting scheme, pair 'Mulberry Rose' with Cosmos 'Purity' — the clean white of 'Purity' brightens up the dusky pink tones of the Nigella, creating a light airy romantic cottage garden border. With Briza Maxima (Quaking Grass) — texture harmony at matching heights with contrasting form. For tonal cottage drama, plant alongside Cornflower 'Mauve Boy' (matching vintage palette) and Cynoglossum 'Mystery Rose' (dusty smoky pink filler).
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.
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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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