The Bright Blue Flower That's Not Worth Buying As A Seedling

You have tons of options to choose from when it comes to purchasing flowers as seedlings and bringing them home to plant in your garden. As a result, you need to take some time to identify the best types of flowers for your specific preferences and limitations to help narrow down your options. There's one bright blue flower that you should definitely cross off of your list. According to Sam Arthurs, Head Gardener at Local Matters, Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena), is one of the flowers that aren't worth buying as a seedling because they are difficult to transplant.

"Nigella [damascena] is best when it's grown from seed, and then once it is established, it self-seeds easily," Arthurs explained while speaking exclusively to House Digest. "The reason that they are difficult to transplant is because they have a taproot." The expert went on to explain why the taproot is a problem when it comes to transplanting Nigella. "Plants with long taproots are better to grow from seed in place," she shared. "A taproot is one thick, vital root that goes deep into the ground to secure water and nutrients." According to Arthurs, the whole plant may die if that root breaks. "This makes the flower higher stakes to plant than other species that have a wider net of thin, fast growing roots," she added. Although it's not a good idea to grow Nigella from seedlings, you can grow healthy flowers from seeds. Arthurs explained how to accomplish this below.

Nigella flower seedlings aren't easy to grow, but this doesn't mean you have to avoid the stunning bright blue flowers altogether. Use Arthurs' expert tips to grow them from seeds as part of a healthy garden instead. "Nigella flower seeds are small and easy to lose track of," Arthurs warned while speaking exclusively to House Digest. She went on to detail the planting and preparation process. "Prepare your planting site before you plant the seeds to keep from losing track of them," the expert explained. "Once the site is prepped, you can drop a few in the area and gently cover them by swiping your hand over the soil. They only want to be 1/8 inch deep, so be light handed about it."

Arthurs even provided guidance for gardeners who would rather start their seeds indoors. This process will look quite a bit different. "If you want to try starting the seeds indoors, just make sure you transplant very, very carefully or plant the seedlings in a peat pot that you can put directly in the ground," the head gardener said. With this information under your belt, you should feel more confident in successfully growing Nigella flowers from seeds indoors or as part of an outdoor garden.

While speaking exclusively to House Digest, Arthurs shared more advice on how to ensure your Nigella flowers thrive. She first went over the proper growing conditions for these plants. "Nigella flowers like full-sun and well-drained soil," the expert revealed. One perk of Nigella flowers is their interestingly shaped seed pods. Keep in mind that you have the option to keep these as décor to use around your home. This is a smart way to decorate with nature in your home. Arthurs shared some practical advice on how to accomplish this. 

"If you like their unique seed pods, you can dry them for long-lasting décor," she explained. Lastly, the expert provided guidance on how to build Nigella flower bouquets to decorate with. "Nigella flowers are also beautiful cut flowers for bouquets, but be sure to pull off those bottom leaves to keep them from rotting in the water," she warned. Although it's not a smart choice to grow these flowers from seedlings, you can still grow them to serve as stunning floral décor in your home or garden.