Plantidote of the Day 2011-09-09

Nigella damascena

Love-in-a-mist

An annual in theory, love-in-a-mist is such a reliable self sower that many gardeners consider it an accidental perennial. The pastel-colored flowers are easily dried and/or pressed for dried flower arrangements. Or harvest a few of the seed pods for dried bouquets. Just be sure to leave enough pods so the plants can regrow next season.

Love-in-a-mist likes sun, but will make do with some partial shade. The USDA recommends growing it in zones 4 through 9, but it's doing just fine here in Zone 10. If you'd like to try these, here's a suggestion: sow the seeds where you want the plants to grow, since they do not like being transplanted.

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Readers, please send twig (twig4now@gmail.com) images and stories for the ongoing Plantidote of the Day series. In exchange, you'll win undying fame in the form of a hat tip! Plants growing in your garden, your house, or neighbor's yard, plants from the forest or farmers' market, plants you preserved, plants you prepared (wine; cider; tea; dried beans), plants you harvested (grains; chanterelles), plants you picked (flowers), plants you dried (herbs), plants you covet or hope to grow someday. Herbal remedies, propagation tips, new varieties, etc.. And if you can, include some solid detail about the plant, too -- a story, the genus and species, or where you got the seeds, or the recipe, or your grandmother gave it to you. Or challenge us with a "Name That Plant" mystery entry ... And please feel free to add corrections and additional information in the comments.

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