Love-in-a-Mist
Nigella damascena
Nigella produces lacy, dill-like foliage with pretty flowers in the blue, white, rose, and lavender range. When mature the ornamental seed pods are a dull medium-green, striped vertically with deep maroon bars. The pods are a favorite choice for dried flower arrangements.
To harvest the ripe pods for dried arrangements cut the stems close to the base of the plant. Group several stems together, binding them with a rubberband, hang the cluster of stems upside down in a warm dry room room such as an attic or garage, and well out of direct light. Allow the stems and pods to dry for several weeks before trimming the stem ends to an appropriate vase length.
Nigella seeds will mature in a multi-chambered pod, it is puffy and balloon-like in appearance, and has stripes of green alternating with maroon when ripe. Remove the ripe pods and simply pull them apart to remove the seeds. Inside are dozens of small dull-black seeds, they look like very tiny chips or flakes of charcoal. Allow the seeds to air dry for a few days before packaging.
Tip notes that Nigella damascena is commonly referred to as Love-in-a-Mist and Love-in-the-Mist. Both are correct and are used interchangeably.
Wikipedia.Com
DriedFlowersDirect.Com
Factsheet No. 0994
Ornamental Plants Plus Version 3.0
Michigan State University Extension
by Sharon Bale
Factsheet No. HO-70
College of Agriculture
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension