Miss Jekyll
Classic blue flowers with finely cut foliage and a loose, airy habit.
When to plant Nigella in Cambridge
Nigella damascena
A hardy annual grown from direct sowing in the UK. It does best in open, sunny ground with free-draining soil. It often self-seeds if you leave some flower heads to mature.
45 cm · Full Sun · Moderate Water
Calibrated to Cambridge · last frost ≈ 7 May
| Activity | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow outdoors | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Harvest | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Growing guide
What to do through the growing season
Growing guide for
Change the guide to see different planting timelines and tips.
Sow straight into the ground. Nigella dislikes being moved.
01
Sow Seeds
9 Apr to 7 May Optional · repeat every 3 weeksSow thinly around 9th April - 7th May on finely raked, weed-free soil. Cover with . Keep the seedbed just moist until seedlings appear. Sow a fresh batch every 21 days.
02
Thin Seedlings
7 May to 18 Jun Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, when seedlings are large enough to handle, thin to .
03
Feed and Water
9 May to 19 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, from 9th May, water only in dry spells. Avoid overfeeding.
04
Deadhead Flowers
8 Jun to 19 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, pick and deadhead from 8th June to 19th October. Leave a few heads if you want seed.
05
Harvest Seed Heads
8 Jul to 24 Sept Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, collect ripe seed heads from 8th July through 24th September once they are dry and papery. Leave some heads if you want pods.
Suggested varieties
Popular varieties of Nigella to consider
Persian Jewels
Mixed colours on compact plants, useful for bedding and cutting.
Transformer
Grown more for the striped seed pods than the flowers, with a neat habit.
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Sow indoors March to April, plant out May to June, harvest September to February. Frost risk October to May.
Calabrese
Sow indoors March to April, plant out May to June, harvest July to October. Frost risk October to May.
Nigella guides by town
See how Nigella timing shifts in other towns with different frost dates.