LOVE-IN-A-MIST: NIGELLA damascena

This LOVE-IN-A-MIST, "Miss Jekyll Mix", is the last of the heirloom 
annual flowers my son grew from seed for me.  This crystalline white is
the first to bloom, but I hope the rose,  sky blue & "Miss Jekyll Indigo" are soon to follow.

This late Spring annual is native to the rocky areas of North Africa & southern Europe, but can be planted in cottage gardens, meadows, cutting gardens  by sowing the seeds directly into the soil.  They are especially great in the bare spots left by bulbs.  They prefer full sun to partial sun, with well drained soil.

The name LOVE-IN-A-MIST COMES from the finely cut, lacey bracts that surround the flower & seem to form a "mist."  The peek-a-boo flowers are 
1-1/2 in diameter (3.81cm), are an excellent cut flower that attracts bees.
They are followed by balloon shaped seed pods.  The aromatic seeds
are used in culinary & medicinal ways in Turkey, the Middle East & India.

These old fashioned annuals in the Buttercup family are prolific self seeders, which might be a deal breaker for some flower gardeners.
Removing the seed pods is a quick fix. 

The most common cultivar is the "Miss Jekyll Mix,"  but I was unable to
discover who this mysterious lady is.  Maybe the famous British garden designer, & horticulturist.who created 400 gardens in UK, Europe, & US?
Maybe it was her favorite flower....