Nigella damascena Albion Black Pod seeds
Nigella, also known as love-in-a-mist, is a half-hardy annual that is very easy to grow. This variety, Albion black pod gives ornamental deep brown seeds pods that you can use as a filler in bouquets. The pods preserve very well, making them fantastic as dried flowers. Just a bunch of the pods hanging upside down already look great.

Planting information to grow Nigella Albion Black Pods from seed:
Plant type: half-hardy annual
Height: 45 centimeters
Position: full sun or partial sun
Start: March – April or September – October
Germination: 14-21 days, 15 – 20°C
Number of days until plants bloom: 65 – 85 days
Distance between the plants: 25 – 30 centimeters
Pinching: no recommended
Number of seeds per pack: 100

How to grow Nigella Albion Black Pod from seed
Nigella or love-in-a-mist is easy to grow. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that seedlings do not like to be transplanted. The yellow roots are delicate and don’t grow well when rootbound. Start seeds in the 40-cell tray or similar 4 to 5 centimeter size cells. If you start seeds in the autumn you need to transplant them into larger pots around January. You can direct sow the seed in autumn but you risk a chance of losing seedlings if you do not protect them with fleece during cold spells.
Plant out autumn started seedlings around March. Plant out or thin out so that plants have around 25 centimeters of space between each plant. Expect the first flowers around the end of June! Nigella is a great cut flower. This Nigella Albion black pod is selected for the large pods rather than the white flowers. The more you cut the more pods or flowers the plants will give you. The petals drop a bit sooner compared to other nigella varieties.

The nigella pods are very long-lasting once dried. Pick the pods once they have a decent size and hang them upside down in a well-ventilated room, out of direct sunlight. After about 2 weeks the pods are ready to be used.