Miss Jekyll
Classic blue flowers with finely cut foliage and a loose, airy habit.
When to plant Nigella in York
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 York · average last frost around 26 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
29 Mar to 26 Apr Optional · repeat every 3 weeksSow thinly around 29th March - 26th 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
26 Apr to 7 Jun Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, when seedlings are large enough to handle, thin to .
03
Feed and Water
28 Apr to 29 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, from 28th April, water only in dry spells. Avoid overfeeding.
04
Deadhead Flowers
28 May to 29 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, pick and deadhead from 28th May to 29th October. Leave a few heads if you want seed.
05
Harvest Seed Heads
27 Jun to 13 Sept Dates as each sowing reaches this stageAfter each sowing, collect ripe seed heads from 27th June through 13th 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.
Related plants
Explore similar plants you might like
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Calabrese
Sow indoors March, plant out May, harvest July to September. Typical frost risk October to April.
Nigella guides by town
See how Nigella timing shifts in other towns with different frost dates.