Miss Jekyll
Classic blue flowers with finely cut foliage and a loose, airy habit.
When to plant Nigella in Cardiff
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 Cardiff · last frost ≈ 22 Apr
| Activity | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow outdoors | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Harvest | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | 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
25 Mar to 22 Apr Optional · repeat every 3 weeksSow thinly around 25th March - 22nd April 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
22 Apr to 3 Jun Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, when seedlings are large enough to handle, thin to .
03
Feed and Water
24 Apr to 28 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, from 24th April, water only in dry spells. Avoid overfeeding.
04
Deadhead Flowers
24 May to 28 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, pick and deadhead from 24th May to 28th October. Leave a few heads if you want seed.
05
Harvest Seed Heads
23 Jun to 9 Sept Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, collect ripe seed heads from 23rd June through 9th 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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Calabrese
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Nigella guides by town
See how Nigella timing shifts in other towns with different frost dates.