'Masquerade' Nemesia Flower Seeds

Just in time for Mardi Gras come these amazing blooms, which look for all the world like little masked faces. Of all the hundreds of plants I grew last year, 'Masquerade' was my hands-down favorite. Not only has there never been a Nemesia like it, but I don't think it has any rival in the entire horticultural world.

Each of the blooms sports a bold lavender-blue "mask" on golden petals—nothing like the sloppy faces on pansies, but an actual pointed, perfectly uniform little mask, so that from a distance the plant looks like a sea of mouse faces.

And as if the fascinating color pattern weren't enough, these blooms are wonderfully fragrant, with a coconut-like scent you'll love.

'Masquerade' doesn't pull a Cinderella when it comes to bloomtime, either—you can expect the flowers to keep coming from mid-spring into summer, popping up all over well-branched little plants. Perfect for the annual bed as well as containers of all types, this Nemesia asks only full sunshine and any moist, well-drained soil to keep blooming for weeks and weeks on end.

Sow these seeds in darkness, either indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last anticipated frost, or directly where you want them to grow outdoors. (If sowing outdoors, cover them well.) Germination takes a week or two. As the young plants grow, pinch them back to encourage bushiness and better branching. Stunning!