Turning cartwheels

The starry flowers of Nigella damascena begin to emerge in July and continue throughout the rest of the summer. A familiar sight in cottage gardens, they have been cultivated in Britain since the Elizabethan era. Their appeal may come from their enduring colour, usually a sky or lavender blue, though they can also be pink or white. It may also be their unusual graphic shape amid pin-thin, frothy leaves, from which they take their common name, love-ina-mist. Both elements make them an excellent filler in borders. Observed close up, they are fascinating. The sepals are the most noticeable coloured part of the flower, of which there can be as few as five or as many as 25, appearing in papery layers. The petals are tiny and found at the base of the stamen. Not merely pleasant to look at, they are also a favourite of bees and other pollinators.