Nigella

The nigella is blooming. Please pardon my heart palpitations.

I never imagined that this flower would affect me the way it did. I bought the packet of seeds because it was a deer-resistant, easy-to-grow annual that would choke out weeds. I didn’t count on it being so sweet that it makes my heart ache.

I can’t even describe why I like it so much. It’s kind of weird rather than pretty. Sparks “gets” it too, though. It forms poppy-like seed pods after it blooms. Those are his favorites.

I’ve got greenish-white ones, white with a blue inner halo, white with a pink inner halo, blue, and pink. This year a few are blooming with only five petals. I am pulling those off so they don’t make seeds to pass on the crummy genetics.

Here it is au naturale, in its patch out back. All the flowers this year are self-seeded from last year’s. This stuff spreads like a weed and does a very, very good job of resisting deer and choking out real weeds, as promised. Last fall I harvested some seed, and this spring I sowed it in the garage bed where the pink daffodils have died back. I just can’t have enough nigella in my life.

Heart heart heart

My favorite. Grow yourself some.

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