How to prune love-in-a-mist

No pruning needed; harvest seed pods when papery and dry in late summer. Do not deadhead unless you specifically want to suppress self-seeding. To harvest seed, cut dry pods before they split and store in a paper envelope in a cool, dry place. Remove spent plants once fully dried and seeded out.

Rarely; remove dead plants at end of season only. Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) is a direct-sown annual grown as much for its ornamental seed pods as its flowers. Deadheading defeats its purpose — the inflated papery seed pods are decorative and provide seed for next year. Simply allow plants to complete their lifecycle, then gather seed or let pods shatter naturally.

Do not deadhead unless you specifically want to suppress self-seeding. To harvest seed, cut dry pods before they split and store in a paper envelope in a cool, dry place. Remove spent plants once fully dried and seeded out.