Nigella: description of an annual plant, photo of flowers, reproduction features, planting and care

Author: Elena N. https://floristics.info/ru/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=19 Category: Garden plants Published: February 23, 2019Last edits: November 03, 2020

plant (lat. Nigella) , or nigella , belongs to the genus of herbaceous plants of the Ranunculaceae family, numbering more than 20 species and widespread in Western Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Latin name means approximately the same as the Russian one, since it is derived from the word niger, which means “black”. The nigella flower is called this because of the coal-black seeds of the plant. The spread of Nigella began from Turkey and the North Caucasus, from where it spread first to India, and from there to Europe. The English call nigella kalinji, blessed seeds, flowering fennel, black cumin, black sesame, nutmeg and Italian coriander, although nigella has nothing to do with any of these plants.

Planting and caring for nigella

• Planting: sowing seeds in the ground - in May or before winter, sowing seeds for seedlings - in March-April, transplanting seedlings into the ground - in May.
• Flowering: from June to August-September.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• Soil: light, moderately moist calcareous soils.
• Watering: balanced: the plant suffers from both a lack and an excess of moisture.
• Mulching: not recommended.
• Fertilizing: it is advisable to plant the plant in an area that was fertilized with organic matter for the previous crop, and then potassium-phosphorus fertilizing is applied only during flowering.
• Reproduction: by seeds.
• Pests: spider mites or aphids.
• Diseases: powdery mildew.

Read more about growing nigella below.

Seedling

If you want to start sowing seedlings, then prepare a place in your greenhouses for April, because this is the time you can start. As we already know, May is an excellent month for planting in the soil, and in just one month the seedlings will have to mature for this.

The maturation process is also very interesting. The seeds will need two to three to germinate from the substrate. At this stage, each flower needs to be moved into a separate pot - later you will find out why this is so important.

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After this, you need to wait for the first two leaves to appear, which again can take up to ten days. As soon as they appear, it should already be May outside, you can begin planting in open soil. This should be done in the same pots in which the flowers were previously placed - you need to take this same container and place it in open soil.

Botanical description

Nigella nigella is a herbaceous annual with branched stems from 30 to 60 cm high, pinnate and sometimes palmately dissected lacy alternate leaves, the upper of which rise above the flower like an openwork blanket. Nigella flowers are large - up to 4 cm in diameter, bisexual, solitary, with five sepals resembling petals, colored blue, white or yellow.

In flowers of double varieties, the sepals are arranged in two, three or four rows. Nigella petals are transformed into nectaries. The nigella fruit is a flattened or swollen capsule consisting of five leaflets containing matte, ovoid, black nigella seeds.

In decorative floriculture, nigella flowers are an important element of landscape design: they are planted along hedges and borders, in flower beds, in rockeries, on alpine hills, and they are also used as an element of flower arrangements.

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Description of the plant

Otherwise, this flower is called Chernushka , although this name is not particularly justified. Nigella, rather, can be associated with something tender, light, and subtle. In the photo, this plant resembles primroses - just as fragile and graceful. Flowers are often compared to little magic stars.

Nigella flowers have a diameter of 4 cm and the color is blue, purple, yellow or white. Interestingly, even dried flowers are popular in floral design.

The plant reaches a height of 40 cm, its leaves have a gray-green tint and resemble dill sprigs (thread-like).

Growing nigella from seeds

How to sow seeds

Nigella reproduces only by seeds. They can be sown directly into the ground in May or before winter to a depth of about 2 cm. The seedlings of the plant are cold-resistant, but it is better to cover the crops at first. Seedlings tolerate replanting very poorly, so they need to be sown immediately in a permanent place.

Seedling care

For seedlings, nigella seeds are sown in March-April in a greenhouse to a depth of 2 cm. Shoots usually appear by the end of the second or third week. Dive them in the development phase of a pair of true leaves into peat-humus pots, so that the seedlings can be transplanted directly into the flowerbed when the time comes.

Nigella propagation

The plant reproduces in one way - by seed.

Growing nigella from seeds

Sowing nigella seeds can be done in open ground or in a container. The month of May is suitable for sowing in open ground. You can sow seeds in late autumn, deepening the seeds by 20 mm.

Photo of nigella seeds

Tender seedlings have some ability to resist cold, but to be sure, it is worth organizing a small shelter for the first time until the sprouts get stronger.

Important!

It is noted that nigella can hardly tolerate transplantation, so it is recommended to plant it immediately in a permanent place of growth.

Planting nigella

When to plant

Nigella seedlings are gaining strength very quickly, and in May it will be possible to transplant them into open ground. The place for nigella should be open and sunny, since the plant does not develop well in the shade. By the way, Nigella does not like proximity to ground cover plants, keep this in mind when choosing a site and environment for it. Nigella prefers soils that are loose, dry, light, but nutritious, calcareous or neutral. On acidic soils, as well as in the shade, the plant develops poorly.

How to plant

Nigella seedlings are planted directly in peat-humus pots at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other, the interval between rows is kept at 45-50 cm. With closer planting, you will not achieve lush flowering of nigella or the ripening of its seeds, and you don’t care You will have to thin out too dense thickets. After planting, the area is watered. The soil is not mulched - nigella reacts poorly to mulch. Nigella blooms from seeds approximately 40-45 days after germination, and its flowering lasts about two months.

What Nigella doesn't like

First of all, the gardener should know this before planting the plant. Doesn't like the flower:

• abundance of moisture, lack of moisture (the reaction will be quick and pronounced, so regular moderate watering is required);
• thickened plantings (otherwise you won’t have to experience wild flowering);
• acidic soils;
• high doses of nitrogen fertilizers;
• shading.

But Nigella is not afraid of light frosts; she tolerates them well.

Caring for Nigella in the garden

Growing conditions

Since Nigella does not like mulch, you will have to regularly weed and loosen the area after watering. As for the frequency of watering, Nigella reacts painfully to both excessive and insufficient moisture, so it is necessary to develop a special watering regime for it.

As for feeding, caution is needed in this matter, since it is very easy to overfeed Nigella. You can avoid this if you plant seedlings or sow seeds in an area where predecessors fertilized with organic matter grew, and you don’t have to worry about fertilizers for the first half of the growing season. When nigella blooms, feed it with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer.

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Nigella propagation

Nigella reproduces only generatively (by seeds), by seedlings and without seedlings, in spring or before winter. The seed propagation method is described in the previous section. Self-sowing of nigella is also one of the methods of seed propagation. Other methods of propagating nigella are not used in home gardening.

Outdoor care

Nigella is not a capricious crop, so caring for it is not difficult. The main thing is to maintain balance in everything.

Watering

Flowers need to be watered regularly, but in moderation.
Do not allow the soil to dry out. Note! If there is insufficient watering, the plant blooms poorly and may dry out over time. But excess moisture also has a bad effect on the condition of nigella and can cause a number of diseases.

Feeding and fertilizer

The plant only needs to be fertilized once per season. At the beginning of the flowering period, mineral fertilizers are applied for flowering crops. Organics and nitrogen compounds are destructive for nigella.

Loosening the soil and weeding

The roots of nigella are located superficially, so it is not advisable to loosen the soil around it. Carry out weeding as weeds appear. For normal crop growth, it is enough to loosen and weed the area before planting.

Pests and diseases

In cool, rainy weather, Nigella may develop powdery mildew. Treating the area with fungicides will help save it, and it is advisable to carry out 2-3 sessions of such treatment with an interval of a week or ten days.

In dry summers, if you neglect your responsibility to water your flowers, Nigella can be attacked by spider mites that feed on the cell sap of the plant's leaves. Spider mites are destroyed with insectoacaricides: Agravertin, Actellik, Akarin, Kleschevit or Fitoverm.

In general, growing nigella does not involve any particular difficulties with either diseases or pests, since it is a fairly resistant plant, especially since the spicy aroma of its seeds successfully repels insects.

Possible problems in growing

Most often, nigella is attacked by spider mites, which usually suck the juice from the plant. The reason for their appearance on the plant is dry weather and lack of moisture. To destroy these pests, it is enough to treat Nigella with insectoacaricidal preparations.

Nigella may suffer from an ailment such as powdery mildew. It usually appears during rainy, cool summers. To rid the plant of the disease, it is enough to treat it several times with a fungicidal solution. The interval between treatments is from seven to 10 days.

Signs of improper care

The main signs of improper care of Nigella Damascus are the appearance of pests and diseases on it. Do not forget that the plant does not like loosening, acidic soil, dark areas and excessive watering.

Nigella after flowering

How and when to collect seeds

Nigella seeds begin to be collected when about two-thirds of the seed pods are ripe, and this most often happens at the end of August or September. Stems with ripe bolls are cut, tied into bunches and laid to dry in a dry room with good ventilation. Seeds are obtained very easily from dried pods. Nigella seeds remain viable for about two years. You can immediately sow them in a flowerbed before winter, or you can wait until spring.

Description of Nigella

Nigella is a low (30-60 cm) plant with straight branched stems, gray-green leaves, very similar to dill leaves only located a little denser, and rather large, single, simple or double flowers of blue, dark blue, white, less often red.

Mass flowering of nigella begins in July. Each flower blooms for about a week, and the flowering itself lasts 1-1.5 months.

The fruit is a five-leafed plant with black seeds resembling onion seeds. Non-blooming nigella is also decorative. Its openwork lush greenery with bright seed pods is ideal for forming winter bouquets.

Nigella, or Nigella. © Wildfeuer

Types and varieties

Nigella damaceana

The most commonly grown species in our gardens is Nigella damaceana, or “lady in green,” an unpretentious ornamental plant that has beautiful not only flowers, but also leaves. The homeland of Nigella Damascus is Asia Minor and Western Asia, the Caucasus, Crimea and the Mediterranean. The height of the branched stems reaches from 30 to 50 cm. The leaves are twice or thrice pinnately dissected, simple or double flowers of white, light blue or dark blue are surrounded by a peculiar lace blanket of openwork leaves located on the stem directly under the flower.

There are many varieties of Nigella Damascus, but be careful when choosing: a variety such as Baby Blue, for example, causes more bewilderment than admiration: some kind of lump of greenery no higher than 15 cm with microscopic flowers and ugly horned fruits. We offer you varieties of Nigella Damascus that will not disappoint you:

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• Cambridge Blue - a form with delicate shoots up to 90 cm tall with blue semi-double flowers;
• Miss Jekyll Rose is a form with straight, arrow-like shoots up to 50 cm high with dark red-pink flowers. The variety was bred specifically for florists who use it to create flower arrangements - dry or fresh;
• Persian Jewels - a mixture of varieties with flowers of white, blue, pink and mauve;
• Dwarf Moody Blue is a dwarf variety 15-20 cm high with blue flowers.

Nigella sativa

As a medicinal plant, Nigella sativa is grown in cultivation - an annual plant from 30 to 70 cm in height with simple and double flowers of blue, white or greenish-yellow hue, which stand out brightly against the background of lacy finely dissected leaves, similar to fennel foliage. Nigella sativa is famous for its black seeds with a strong spicy aroma, which have been used for many centuries as a flavoring agent for various dishes, as well as a stomachic and choleretic agent.

It is this plant that is called black sesame, black cumin, flowering fennel, and it is about this plant that the Koran says: “In black cumin there is healing from all diseases.”

Spanish Nigella (Nigella hispanica)

Slightly less known in culture is Nigella spanisha, also an annual plant from southern Spain and northern Africa, up to 60 cm high, with deeply divided dark green leaves and dark blue flowers up to 6 cm in diameter with bright stamens and a faint aroma. The reddish ovaries of Nigella spanisha also attract attention. This species blooms from June to September.

Nigella orientalis

Sometimes in cultivation, Nigella orientalis, an annual with small flowers and decorative fruits, is grown to decorate flower beds, cut flowers and make dry bouquets.

Story

If you have never met in person or seen a photo of a nigella flower, then you are unlikely to be able to recognize it right away. The plant, which is also known as nigella, is a member of the ranunculaceae family, which includes more than twenty other species.

In the wild, Nigella can be found throughout the western parts of Europe and Asia, to which can be added the northern part of the African continent.

The plant gets its name from the Latin word niger, which means black. This is because nigella seeds are dark black.

Black cumin is native to Türkiye and the North Caucasus. After the plant was discovered by people, it began to spread to other regions, as a result of which it gained a foothold in the countries of Western Europe, India and Northern Africa.

In Foggy Albion, nigella received several more names, among which I would like to highlight - blessed seeds, kalindzhi, nutmeg flower, blooming fennel and even black sesame. The most interesting thing is that nigella has nothing in common with all the plants with which its numerous names are associated.

Properties of nigella

Nigella sativum, or Nigella medicinal, is popular not only as an ornamental plant. Its seeds, which have a spicy peppery taste and strawberry aroma, are used in cooking as a spice: crushed, added to soups, baked with it, and added to marinades when canning vegetables. Nigella leaves, which have a tonic and general strengthening effect, are also used as greens. They are added to salads in the summer along with basil, coriander, parsley, dill and chervil.

In addition to taste, nigella has high value and beneficial properties. The seeds of the plant, containing vitamin E, carotene, ascorbic acid, essential oils and the enzyme lipase, have a diuretic, laxative, analgesic, antispasmodic, antiulcer, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiallergenic, bronchodilator, antitumor, antiviral, immunostimulating, anthelmintic and choleretic effect.

They are used for gastrointestinal disorders and flatulence, high blood pressure, hormonal disorders, dysbacteriosis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, periodontal disease, cystitis, pyelonephritis, loss of appetite, they have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the pancreas and liver, help slow down the aging process, strengthen memory .

Nigella seeds are used simultaneously with medications to treat the following diseases: epilepsy, diabetes, asthma, arterial hypertension, cancer, as well as drug addiction. Tea made from nigella seeds speeds up metabolism, stimulates the body's natural cleansing of waste and toxins, and also promotes weight loss.

We offer you recipes for drugs that you can make yourself at home:

• tincture of nigella seeds: one part of nigella seeds is infused in a dark place for a week in five parts of vodka, then the liquid is filtered and put in the refrigerator. Take 10-15 drops for diseases of the respiratory tract.
• Nigella tea: pour 1 g of seeds with a glass of boiling water and leave for a quarter of an hour. Drink during the day in several doses as a diuretic, laxative, choleretic and tonic. To achieve an anthelmintic effect, you should drink at least two liters of this tea a day along with eating spicy food - onions, herring. The advantage of nigella seeds is that, although they are as hot as black pepper, they do not irritate the mucous membrane of the intestines and stomach.

Here’s a simple recipe for delicious cakes with nigella seeds: knead the dough from a kilogram of flour in water, add one and a half spoons of nigella seeds to it and let the dough sit for 40-50 minutes, then divide it into socs, roll them out into cakes and bake in the oven, then grease with hot oil.

Nigella can be successfully used to fight moths, like lavender. Sew nigella seeds into small fabric or gauze bags and place them on shelves in the closet: the aroma of the seeds will repel moths. Mosquitoes and even snakes are afraid of this smell.

However, despite the beneficial properties of nigella, it is forbidden to use its seeds and preparations from the plant for pregnant women, especially in later stages, suffering from coronary heart disease, active thrombophlebitis, acute gastritis with high acidity, cholelithiasis, as well as people with organ transplants, because an increased immune system may cause transplant organ rejection.

How do nigellas reproduce?

Growing Nigella Albina and all other varieties does not require effort or time. The plant can reproduce in several ways.

Planting seeds for seedlings

Godetia flower - growing from seeds at home

The seedling method of growing nigella takes longer than the non-seedling method. However, this is what gardeners most often use. Seeds should be sown in a greenhouse at the end of winter, a month and a half before the end of frost. For sowing, choose wide wooden or plastic boxes, which are filled with a universal substrate or a mixture of turf soil and sand.

Note! Seedlings can also be grown on a windowsill. In this case, the seeds are also sown at the end of winter.

Seeds planted in the ground are sprinkled with sand and then sprayed with a small amount of water. The top of the boxes is covered with glass or polyethylene. The cover must be removed daily to ensure air flow to the seeds. In the room where the box with future seedlings will be located, there should be a temperature of 22 to 25 ° C, diffused lighting. The soil is sprayed as it dries.

Seedling care

The first seedlings appear two to three weeks after sowing the seeds. Then the shelter is removed completely, the temperature drops by a couple of degrees, that is, to 21-23°C. This measure prevents “pulling” of seedlings. Its watering is carried out further by spraying until it is ready to be transplanted into individual peat-humus pots.

Dive

Planting of seedlings occurs after the appearance of true leaves. Seedlings are transplanted very carefully; it is important not to damage the root system. If you don’t have peat-humus pots on hand, ordinary plastic cups will do, from which you can then plant plants in open ground.

Nigela Damascus seeds

Seedless method

Nigella, planting and caring for which in open ground is not particularly difficult, can be grown without seedlings. In this case, the seeds are sown in the garden bed in April-early May, but this can also be done for the winter.

In one place, seeds are sown 3 to 4 times with an interval of 3-4 weeks. This ensures continuous flowering of nigella throughout the summer. The soil is prepared in advance. It shouldn't be sour.

Note! Seedlings do not like changing places, so you should immediately plant the seeds in a place where nigella will grow constantly.

Is it possible to plant a plant in a pot?

If nigella were a perennial plant, it could be planted in a pot. However, in this case it is not recommended to do this. The best place for the plant is a garden bed.

Medicinal properties

The crop is grown not only for decorative purposes. It brings great benefits to the human body and is used in food. The seeds of the plant are characterized by an intense strawberry aroma and taste. They can be added to food.

Nigella leaves are also considered edible. They have a tonic effect on the body and help improve well-being.

The seeds of the plant contain many useful elements. These include vitamins E and C. The product also contains many essential oils. Thanks to this, it has general strengthening properties.

Nigella fruits are actively used in folk medicine. They are used to combat cystitis, dysbacteriosis, and pyelonephritis. The seeds are useful for diabetes, oncology, asthma, and epilepsy.

Infusions based on them improve metabolism and cleanse the body of harmful elements. Such remedies are used during the period of weight loss. They stop the aging process and improve memory.

To make a useful remedy, you should take nigella seeds and mix with vodka in a ratio of 1:5. Place in a dark place and leave for 1 week. Then strain the liquid and transfer it to the refrigerator. Use the resulting remedy for pathologies of the respiratory organs. Single dose – 10-15 drops.

Nigella helps control mosquitoes and moths. The plant has a specific aroma that helps repel insects.

It is worth considering that the plant has contraindications. It should not be used during pregnancy, ischemia, or gastritis. Limitations also include cholelithiasis.

Suitable for dry bouquets

Nigella is loved by bees for the nectar that collects in the nectaries of flowers.
Photo: gmsemena.ru Nigella damascus - photo, description of the species:

1. Black cumin (lat. Nigella sativa) or Nigella damascus is an annual herbaceous plant with an erect, strongly branched stem crowned with large flowers and dissected leaves. In nature, the plant can be found in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Western Europe.
2. The flowers can be double and simple with different colors: white, blue, pink, yellow, bisexual, reaching 4 cm in diameter. The petals of the flowers turn into nectaries, which attracts pollinating insects. The seed capsule consists of five leaflets containing flattened, charcoal-colored seeds.
3. The plant easily tolerates frosts down to -3 degrees and is a real boon for a blooming garden. Nigella blooms from late July to late autumn. The flower grows in almost any soil, but prefers fertile and well-lit areas.
4. After flowering, seeds are formed in the boxes and ripen in August. In appearance they resemble onions, but have a piquant taste and smell of strawberries. In folk medicine, the seeds are used to treat the digestive system and as a general tonic to tone the body.

Bright stars cover the lacy bush.
Photo: infoce-klin.ru The author of the video claims that Nigella Damascus must be sown early in open ground. Plant every two weeks from March, then you can get a blooming flowerbed until autumn:

Kinds

There are about 25 species of Nigella, the most common of which are:

• Nigella arvensis – field;
• Nigella bucharica – Bukhara;
• Nigella ciliaris;
• Nigella damascena – lady's;
• Nigella gallica;
• Nigella glandulifera Nigella damascena– lady;– glandular;
• Nigella hispanica – Spanish;
• Nigella integrifolia – whole-leaved;
• Nigella nigellastrum;
• Nigella orientalis – eastern;
• Nigella oxypetala – acute-petalled;
• Nigella papigella;
• Nigella sativa – sowing or Kalinji;
• Nigella sigitalis – arable

Popular varieties

Nigella has many varieties that differ in certain characteristics. This allows gardeners to choose the most suitable solution for the flower bed.

Cambridge Blue

This beautiful plant is characterized by large flowers. They are distinguished by a bluish-blue tint. The bush reaches 1 meter in height and is covered with lacy leaves. It is this variety of nigella that is most often chosen for decorating flower beds.

Miss Jekyll Rose

This variety is characterized by large flowers. They may have red or purple hues. You can find red seeds in the box. The plant has a straight stem, the height of which does not exceed 50 centimeters.

Persian Jewels

The plant is characterized by pink, white, and red flowers. In their center you can see long green stamens. This variety has thin leaves that form a graceful lace on a small stem.

Dwarf Moody Blue

This variety is a dwarf species of Damascus nigella. It is characterized by small truncated leaves that form a cloud. That is why the plant received the name “blue mist”. The height of the stem reaches 25 centimeters. The flowers are small and have a blue or blue tint.

Baby Blue

This is an unattractive variety with small, pale flowers. It is also characterized by small curved stems. Their height does not exceed 20 centimeters.

Sativa

This plant can be used for medicinal purposes. The culture reaches 30-70 centimeters in height and has white, blue or yellow flowers. The leaves are finely dissected and resemble fennel grass.

Nigella's place in landscape design

Looking at the photo, you immediately understand that Nigella will be the spark that will light up the garden and transform it. Designers use nigella everywhere:

Nigella will fit perfectly into any style flowerbed

• in rockeries and “dry” gardens;
• on alpine hills in combination with petunias and perennials;
• as decorative borders;
• in work areas, flower beds and flower beds, both in single and mixed plantings.

The tenderness and airiness of nigella flowers wins the hearts of phytographers and designers. Independent planting of nigella in different shades of the same color is very popular. This is how the flower looks self-sufficient, gently shimmering with shades.

When creating a “rustic” style of landscape design, Nigella becomes simply irreplaceable. In this style, nigella becomes a partner of perennial plants.

Nigella looks great in mono plantings

Nigella's neighbors in the flowerbed can be cornflower, anemone, lobelia, verbena, and petunia.

Important! Nigella cannot stand proximity to ground cover plants.

Nigella retains its decorative effect even after it has faded. Dried stems with seed pods are used to decorate dry bouquets, and as an addition to live ones.

Nigella: photo

NIGELLA OF DAMASCE

There are two opinions about this flower: some gardeners have trouble growing it, others don’t have any trouble with it, because... Once settled on the site, Nigella Damascus grows safely on it from year to year. How to please the “maiden in the green” so that she enjoys living in your garden? First, get to know this plant better, because the many names it bears among the people indicate the popularity and demand for nigella in various areas of life: garden design, floristry, cooking, medicine and perfumery.

Nigella damascena (nigella, Roman coriander, black cumin, wild fennel, nutmeg flower, “maiden in green”, and in botany Nigella damascena) is an annual plant up to 60 cm tall with lacy foliage, reminiscent of dill or chamomile, and single flowers simple or terry shape. The color of the petals can be white, pink and all shades of blue. Flowering does not last long (about a month), but after it ends, the plant continues to remain decorative due to the many seed pods that have an original shape, for which it is loved by many florists and is successfully used to create winter compositions.

To admire the flowering of the “maiden in green” until autumn, you can sow at intervals of 1 month, and then your garden will be decorated with delicate openwork foliage, graceful flowers, and seed pods at the same time.

WHERE TO PLANT, HOW TO CARE?

A well-lit area with light, loose soil that is not acidic is an ideal place for planting nigella. Weeding, if necessary, and moderate watering are the main measures necessary for growing nigella. There is no need for fertilizers, no diseases or pests have been noticed. In general, a completely problem-free flower!

In the photo: various varieties of Nigella Damascus

GROWING NIGELLA FROM SEEDS

The seedless method is used most often, since Nigella Damascus is a cold-resistant plant, and its seedlings successfully withstand light frosts without any consequences. Sowing in open ground can be done in spring or before winter.

Spring planting is carried out in April-May on a prepared area of ​​soil in grooves or holes to a depth of 2 cm. Germination of seedlings can be observed after 2-3 weeks, therefore, in order to maintain the required level of soil moisture, you can cover the crops with mulch film or spunbond. If the crops have sprouted too densely, you will have to thin them out, leaving a distance of 15-25 cm between the plants. At the stage of 3-4 true leaves, you can try to plant the seedlings in other areas of the garden (there is a chance that the nigella will take root). In an older state, this is more difficult to do - Nigella does not tolerate transplantation well.

Pre-winter sowing of nigella is extremely simple. Prepare a plot of land in the fall by digging it up and clearing it of weeds, make furrows 3-4 cm deep and leave the bed until the winter cold and heavy snowfalls begin. Sow seeds (dry!) ​​in furrows on the cold soil, sprinkle with pre-prepared soil, lightly compact and forget about this bed until spring. The most important condition for winter sowing is to choose the right time so that untimely prolonged thaws do not bring the planted seeds to life.

NIGELLA IN GARDEN DESIGN

This simple flower is not very appropriate in mixborders with perennials or in other complex compositions, but it will miraculously enliven your lawn, decorate the paths with the border, and decorate the sunny lawn in the children's recreation area.

Nigella is an excellent honey plant; it is good to sow it near apiaries and just around the perimeter of the garden to attract pollinating insects.

Among the varieties on the domestic seed market you can find Nigella “Star Placer”, “Motley Path”, “Shaherizade”, “Persian Rose”, “Blue Lady”, “Persian Diamond” and others.

Another annual from the genus Nigella, Nigella orientalis, may also be of interest, for example, the Transformer variety with small light yellow flowers. Its very decorative fruits are beautiful not only in the garden, but also in dry winter bouquets.

In the photo: Nigella orientalis - flower and dry fruits

Other types of nigella, and there are more than two dozen of them, are not grown in our gardens, but in their practical properties and application they are very similar to each other.

In the photo: Nigella Damascus in a dry winter bouquet. / Nigella seeds and seed pods

USING NIGELLA IN MEDICINE AND AT HOUSEHOLD

For medicinal purposes, an infusion (tea) of ripened nigella seeds is used. It acts as an anthelmintic, diuretic, choleretic and laxative. This tea is also useful for nursing mothers to improve lactation.

In homeopathy, a tincture (tincture of alcohol or ether) from mature nigella seeds is used to increase respiratory activity and relieve spasms. The seeds contain a significant amount of essential oil with a pungent, spicy odor reminiscent of nutmeg. It is also used in perfumery and soap making.

Nigella seeds are widely used in cooking, especially in eastern countries. Instead of poppy seeds, they are used to sprinkle flatbreads, baked goods such as buns and pretzels. The spicy taste of the seeds is also appropriate for sauerkraut, pickling cucumbers and watermelons. A popular seasoning made from nigella sativum is called “Kalinji”, or “Black Cumin”.

The insecticidal properties of nigella seeds are known: their pungent smell protects clothes from moths, so sachets with them can be put in your dress closet.

A year ago I accidentally bought a bag of nigella seeds. I don’t even know what attracted more – the outlandish name or the cute flowers. I planted it under the fence, and, to be honest, I forgot. What a surprise it was when the seeds sprouted, and the plant also bloomed beautifully.

And I liked the coniferous foliage and beautiful flowers so much that I decided to work closely with this plant. I want to tell you about the amazing nigella, I think that you will be happy to allocate a place in your flower garden for her.

This herbaceous plant, which grows only for one year, has several names: “maiden in green”, “Italian coriander”, “nutmeg flower”, “black cumin”, but is more often called “nigella” for the color of the seeds.

The flower is not only truly unusual and interesting, but also useful: the essential oil and seeds are successfully used for medicinal purposes, as spices in cooking, and in perfumery.

Nigella (lat. Nigella damáscena) is a species of the genus Nigella of the Ranunculaceae family. In nature, it lives in steppes on slopes and in weedy places. The homeland is considered to be the northern part of Africa, the western part of Asia, the Caucasus, as well as the south and southeast of Europe, where 25 species are known. Here, in eastern Europe, only 11 are common.

Mainly 2 species are grown in garden plots:

• Spanish Nigella (Nigella hispanica) is a bush of flowers that grows, has rich blue flowers with a fragrant scent, attracts attention with a large ovary of a dark red color and stamens protruding above the flower, also dark red.

• Nigella damaskena (Albina) is a small bush up to 45 cm high, with flowers of pink, creamy yellow, white, light blue and bluish. The leaves are filamentous, pinnate and dissected, reminiscent of an openwork cloud. Usually the flowers are single and are simple and double in shape (petals are arranged in 2, 3 or 4 rows) with a diameter of up to 4 cm. The stems of this species are straight, but branched, without pubescence.

We will consider this particular species, since it is more common and better known. Nigella flowers bloom in May, and then the plant retains its color until the end of the season. Each flower actively blooms for about 7 days, and the entire shrub retains its blooming appearance for a month or a month and a half.

Nigella Damascus is represented by the following varieties:

• Scheherazade.
• Variegated path.
• Neptune.
• Star dust.
• Albina.
• Oriole.
• Persian diamonds.
• Cambridge Blue.
• Miss Jekyll Rose.

The fruits of nigella are swollen or, conversely, flattened capsules with 5 leaflets, which contain oval and matte tetrahedral black seeds.

Nigella Damascus is planted in a group with other garden plants, not only in flower beds, but also along garden paths and various fences, in rock gardens and rockeries.

This flower also looks beautiful and original in floral arrangements (it goes well with poppies, calendula and cornflowers), and not only the flowers themselves are popular, but also “airy” greenery.

Description and features

Nigella is often called nigella. It is an annual herbaceous plant that reaches a height of 60 centimeters. The culture is characterized by a straight stem with a large number of branches. The plant is distinguished by blue, white, blue flowers. There are also pink buds. In combination with bright, pinnately dissected leaves, the flowers look beautiful.

Nigella inflorescences are solitary. They are simple and terry. The composition includes a calyx with 5 sepals, 5-8 petals, a large number of large stamens and pistils. Flowering lasts from May to August. After its completion, the bush does not lose its decorative properties. This is due to the appearance of unusual boxes filled with seeds .

The culture is considered light-loving. It is resistant to cold and easily tolerates spring frosts. Reproduction is carried out by seeds. They have a black tint and a triangular shape.

Properties of a flower

The flower has many beneficial properties.

Use in medicine and cooking

Nigella seeds are added to baked goods and used in canning vegetables. The leaves can be used as a salad ingredient. They are believed to have tonic and body-strengthening properties.

From a medical point of view, nigella seeds have such beneficial properties as:

• antispasmodic;
• choleretic;
• bronchodilator;
• anthelmintic;
• diuretic.

They are recommended for use in cases of gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, kidney diseases, hormonal disorders, and cystitis. But you should consult your doctor before you start using the plant in the form of tea or tincture to improve your health.

Nigella, planting and caring for which does not cause much trouble for gardeners, is very popular among florists and landscape designers due to its unusual flowers that look like stars.