love in a mist delft blue

A Guide to Growing and Enjoying the Charming Love in a Mist ‘Delft Blue’ Flower

Love in a mist ‘Delft Blue’ (Nigella damascena ‘Delft Blue’) is an absolutely charming old-fashioned annual flower that blooms in late spring and early summer. With its airy blooms in shades of blue and white and fern-like foliage, it adds graceful texture and ethereal beauty to any garden.

In this guide, you’ll learn all about this delightful flower, including how to grow and care for it, how it looks, and how to use it in your garden and in arrangements.

Overview of Love in a Mist ‘Delft Blue’

Love in a mist ‘Delft Blue’ is a variety of the love in a mist or devil in the bush flower (Nigella damascena), which is native to southern Europe. It’s an annual flower in the Ranunculaceae family, which also includes columbine, clematis, delphinium, and other love in a mist varieties.

This particular variety stands out with its unique bicolor flowers in hues of rich violet-blue and crisp white. The blooms feature delicate white petals streaked with pale to deep blue. At the center of each flower is a tuft of burgundy stamens.

The flowers emerge from fern-like, feather-shaped foliage that forms a nice mound or bush around 1-2 feet high and 1-2 feet wide. When the blooms fade, decorative seed pods form that can be used dried in arrangements.

Love in a mist is one of the easiest and longest-blooming annuals. It blooms prolifically from late spring through summer once established. And it keeps pumping out flowers until frost with minimal care needed.

Growing Conditions for Love in a Mist ‘Delft Blue’

Love in a mist thrives in a wide range of conditions, making it a great flower for beginners and busy gardeners. Here are its preferences:

• Sun: Full sun is ideal, but it tolerates partial shade. At least 6 hours of direct sun per day keeps it blooming its best.

• Soil: It adapts to most soil types and thrives even in poor, sandy or dry soils. Well-draining soil is best.

• Water: Drought tolerant once established. Water regularly after planting and during prolonged droughts.

• Zones: Annual in all zones. Grown as an annual in zones 2-11. Can be direct sown after the last spring frost.

• Spacing: Space plants 6-12 inches apart. They have a taproot system and don’t like being transplanted.

• Pinching: No pinching or deadheading needed! The plants are self-cleaning as flowers fade.

How to Plant Love in a Mist from Seed

Love in a mist is best direct sown in the garden. It can be tricky to start from seed indoors. Follow these tips:

• When to plant: Direct sow 2-4 weeks before your last expected spring frost when soil reaches 60°F. It can handle light frosts.

• How to plant: Choose a spot with full sun. Rake soil smooth and sow seeds just below the surface. Cover lightly with 1/4 inch of soil.

• Germination: Seeds take 10-15 days to sprout. Keep soil moist, not soaked. Thin seedlings to 6-12 inches apart.

• Fall sowing: You can also direct sow in fall 1-2 months before first frost for earlier spring blooms.

Care and Maintenance Tips

Once established, love in a mist requires very little care to keep it blooming from late spring through fall:

• Water the plants during extended droughts or dry spells. Allow soil to dry between waterings.

• Cut off spent flower stems to encourage more blooms. Don’t deadhead if you want the ornamental seed pods.

• At the end of the season, scatter some seed pods around the garden to allow natural reseeding for next year.

• Add a thin layer of compost or fertilizer in spring to enrich the soil. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers.

• Insect pests and diseases are rare. Good airflow keeps fungal diseases at bay.

How to Use Love in a Mist ‘Delft Blue’ in the Garden

With its airy two-toned blooms and lacy foliage, love in a mist ‘Delft Blue’ is ideal for:

• Cottage gardens, cutting gardens, and informal flower beds

• Edging paths, walkways, and patios

• Container gardens – it looks lovely spilling over the edges of pots and planters

• Pollinator and butterfly gardens – bees, butterflies, and birds visit the blossoms

• Naturalized areas and wildflower meadows

• Front of border perennial gardens and along fences or property lines

Its soft colors pair nicely with salvias, cosmos, poppies, shasta daisies, yarrow, coreopsis, verbena, bee balm, and other cottage garden favorites. Allow some plants to self-sow each year for a continuous supply.

Using Love in a Mist as a Cut Flower

The petite blooms and fern-like foliage of love in a mist make beautiful additions to cut flower arrangements. Here are some tips:

• Cut flowers when blooms are half open for the longest vase life. Early morning is best.

• Strip lower foliage and place directly in water immediately after cutting.

• Expect 5-7 days of vase life if properly conditioned. Recut stem ends occasionally.

• The long stems work nicely in bouquets combined with garden roses, snapdragons, lisianthus, baby’s breath, bells of Ireland, and delphinium.

• Or showcase love in a mist on its own in a delicate posy or hand-tied bouquet.

• Let seed pods form on some stems later in summer. Hang upside down to dry for everlasting arrangements.

The Ethereal Beauty of Love in a Mist ‘Delft Blue’

With its carefree growth habit and months of charming two-tone blooms, love in a mist ‘Delft Blue’ is a delightful addition to gardens and arrangements. The lacy foliage and flowers offer unique texture and a soft, dreamy elegance perfect for informal, cottage garden settings. This hardy annual is easy to grow, needing only full sun and average soil to thrive and spread its charming beauty.