Flowers & companions
Calendula
Edible petals, easy.
- Outside
- Direct mid May
- Where
- Flower row or bed edge
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate; established plants take dry spells
- Harvest
- Petals Jun to Oct, pick often
Calendula is the easy annual of the flower row, sown in May, blooming June to frost, petals headed for the kitchen. It self-sows just enough to feel like a perennial without behaving like a weed.
Growing
Sow in place in mid May, thin to a foot, and pick constantly, because picking is what keeps it blooming; a plant allowed to set seed considers its season finished. It prefers the cool ends of summer and sails through the first light frosts. The flowers also draw the small predatory insects that quietly police aphids nearby, which is a useful habit in a border plant. Moderate water while it establishes is enough; after that a dry spell slows the bloom without stopping it.
Varieties
Resina was selected for heavy bloom and resin-rich petals; Pacific Beauty covers the classic orange and yellow range.
In the kitchen
Petals scatter over salads and rice and dry easily in a paper bag for winter. The old name, pot marigold, records exactly this use.