Common name: love-in-a-mist

Size, form, texture: height 1.5-2 ft, spread 1-1.5 ft, bed of lacy foliage, ethereal wispy appearance, annual.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: From damascus, easy to grow but difficult to then remove if necessary, native to Southern Europe and Northern Africa, prefers full sun, moderate moisture requirements.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: produces lots of seed, edible in other species, solitary blue flowers blooming in June to August, amid wispy textured foliage, giving way to unusual horned egg shaped seed capsules, all of plant is fairly hairy giving it a unique texture.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: low maintenance, dead heading spent flowers will lengthen bloom period, attractive and interesting plant, would look good in a border, looks good in containers, could be interesting with ferns or rosemary when in bloom.