Michael Peverett: Love in a mist

Friday, June 14, 2024

Love in a mist

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). Frome, 11 June 2024.

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). A seed mix (maybe 'Persian Jewels') introduced in Laura's garden twenty years ago and constantly generating new variants. I don't know why the population never settles down. I don't understand genetics, so am prone to the unworthy thought that no-one else does either.

My favourite this year is the spectacular one shown above, growing (rather appropriately) beside the grass called Yorkshire Fog.

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). Frome, 11 June 2024.

The coloured parts are actually the sepals. On a very doubled individual like this the tiny petals seem to be completely absent.

One thing I hadn't appreciated before is how much the sepal-colours change. The pic below shows the same flower four days later.

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). Frome, 15 June 2024.

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). Frome, 11 June 2024.

In Sweden it's called Jungfrun i det gröna (the maiden in the green).

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). Frome, 11 June 2024.

The spice known as nigella or black cumin comes from the related species Nigella sativa.

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). Frome, 11 June 2024.

Here's one that resembles the wild plant of southern Europe. It has just five pale blue sepals. The petals are the ring of small hooked structures surrounding the stamens.

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). Frome, 15 June 2024.

I can't stop taking photos. Here's some from the following year:

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). Frome, 29 May 2025.

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). Frome, 31 May 2025.

Hello again! Nigella damascena is considered an annual, but this seems to be the same plant I began with (identical colouring and position, one year later).