Seeds specialist Thompson & Morgan is offering a discount on a variety of cottage garden favourite Nigella – to match a discount negotiated by contestants on BBC1 show The Apprentice.

Nigella seeds were among a list of items on which the teams in last week’s edition were tasked with negotiating the best-possible deal.

And keen-eyed gardeners watching would have recognised Thompson & Morgan’s branding on packets of its “Persian Jewels Mixed” Nigella seed packs which both teams found, a different London garden centres.

One of the teams negotiated a price of £6.72 for three packs, a savinig of £1.35 on the normal retail price of £2.69 each.

And now, the Ipswich-based company has decided to offer the same deal on its website for the rest of December.

Thompson & Morgan’s ecommerce manager, Clare Dixey, said: “It’s great to get such good exposure on one of the BBC’s most watched programmes, but why should the apprentices be the only ones to get a bargain from us?

“We feel it’s only right that we pass the saving on to our valued customers. As such, for the rest of December our customers can log on to www.thompson-morgan.com and add three packets of ‘Persian Jewels Mixed’ to their basket for just £6.72.”

A search for “Nigella” on the award-winning website will also turn up Delft Blue, a new variety for 2015 offering an unusual variety of blue and white blooms reminiscent of the famous Dutch Delft Blue pottery. They turn into “jester’s hat” seed heads, making them a really unusual addition to the garden and vase displays.