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Calendula is a tough, hardy herb that’s easy to grow. There are many different types of calendula, and they come in colors from bright yellow to deep orange-red.
They bloom best in full sun and well-drained soil with lots of organic matter added. They can be grown indoors as long as the pot gets plenty of light and you water very regularly. Calendulas will also thrive outdoors if planted in a sunny location with well-drained soil or raised bed garden beds.
In this article, you will learn about the many uses for calendula, how to grow it, and what benefits you can look forward to if you decide to plant this herb in your garden.
Let’s dive deep into this topic.
Image Credit: http://smsf-mastergardeners.ucanr.edu
What Is Calendula And Where Does It Come From?
Calendula is a plant that belongs to the daisy family. Many we use the name “calendula” to refer to Calendula Officinalis.
The word calendula comes from the Latin words “kalendarium” and “oleandroides” meaning: day and sun respectively. The official name of this herb was given because it blooms every day – even on cloudy days – and gets its golden color from the sun or light source near which it grew. You can grow many different kinds of calendula at home depending on the climate where you live. The most common types are:
- Calendula Officinalis, also called English marigold
- Indian Dashang ( Dhataki in Hindi) or Orange marigold
- French or pot marigold, which is usually yellow but sometimes orange as well
- Mexican orange flower, a beautiful plant with bright orange petals and dark green leaves that grows as tall as 2 feet. In India, it is known as Nargol
- Hindu rope which has small sturdy stems and large flowers – the most popular variety for medicinal purposes – produces top-quality oil extract from its seeds.
Calendula is a very old medicinal herb that’s been in use practically forever. The herb is native to the sunny Mediterranean region and likely originated in Egypt, but today it’s grown in many other countries including India, Australia, France, Mexico, Spain, Peru, Chile, and even North America. This plant is botanically related to both saffron and chamomile so you can imagine how versatile its uses are.
How To Grow Calendula?
Calendulas are lovely bright golden daisies that bloom all year round if planted correctly. They thrive best in full sun but will grow well in partially shaded spots too.
The soil should be rich in organic matter, so add plenty of compost before planting. This is a very hardy plant that can tolerate extreme temperatures but prefers hot summers and dry climates for optimal growth.
If you live in colder regions with wet winters, you might want to give your calendula plants some extra protection (such as covering them with mulch or putting up walls around their base). They are not cold tolerant and it’s easy for the flowers to rot during winter if the ground gets soggy. The best time to plant calendulas is either spring or fall when the weather is milder (avoid summer when the soil tends to get very hot).
You can grow calendulas in pots indoors as long as you provide enough light (a sunny spot near the window) and water regularly. Make sure you don’t overwater your plants because this plant has shallow roots, but it is very important to keep the soil moist at all times.
Calendula is a great choice any time of year for planting outdoors. Because they are drought resistant and grow quickly, they make an excellent summer vegetable garden flower that also attracts bees.
Sow seeds directly into the ground or inside before transplanting outdoors. If transplanting, be careful not to disturb their roots too much; choose a cloudy day for best results. The containers should be on the bottom so there is no problem with water drainage.
Growing An Amazing Flower Garden With Calendula
Growing a garden with flowers is very rewarding. Flowers add color and beauty to your property and can attract helpful bugs, butterflies, and birds to your yard. They brighten up the space and make it more inviting for you and all visitors.
Planting in an open area ensures better air circulation which helps prevent plant diseases such as mildew or mold that can ruin flowers; however, there are many ways to combine plants even in limited areas like flower beds or pots on the patio.
The easiest way to start planting in your garden is by adding annual flowering plants (like marigolds) around other perennials (like sunflowers), shrubs, or trees. Annuals that grow fast need little maintenance but die at the end of the season.
Perennials live for years and often come back larger every year; they need less care initially to make them stronger, but they also require more effort during winter (heavy mulching or cover up with pine branches usually does the trick). Most herb plants do well as perennials in warmer climates like California.
The combination of annuals and perennials is especially successful because these flower varieties bloom at different times.
Using Calendula Flowers And Petals In Homemade Products
Calendula is a versatile herb that can be used either fresh or dried for making lotions, balms, salves, wine, creams, and honey.
It is also very easy to make your organic beauty products with calendula. The petals are best infused in oil because they impart their color and medicinal benefits to it. If you don’t have the time or the patience, then dried petals work just as well but may not give you that pretty golden hue. Calendula oil can be used on its own as a salve for cuts, burns, dry skin, acne scars, eczema, diaper rash, cradle cap, irritated scalp, chapped lips or split ends. You can store it in a dark glass bottle so it will last longer. It needs to be applied topically only once every two hours – any more could result in some irritations.
If you want to use calendula in lotions or balms, then you should infuse the petals into oil over low heat before adding other ingredients; this ensures that the medicinal properties are preserved (and you don’t end up with a yellowish goo.). Petals need about 24 hours to infuse properly, but once the mixture is strained, it can be used right away. You can also steep other herbs like lavender or chamomile along with your calendula flowers for added benefits.
Once made, store your organic herbal products in labeled dark glass bottles and keep them out of reach of children at all times.
Image Credit: http://agriculturestudy.com
Final Thoughts On Growing And Using Calendula
In conclusion, calendula is a beautiful flower that you can grow and use for all kinds of purposes. It’s very versatile so you can experiment with it as much as you like – the only limit is your imagination.
Being one of the many evergreen flowering plants you can grow in your garden, calendula is a great edible flower to grow in almost every garden. Growing an amazing flower garden with calendula can bring you a lot of benefits, including color and beauty, attracting helpful bugs, butterflies, and birds to your yard, so definitely give this plant a chance.
The post Growing And Using Calendula appeared first on Kitchen Infinity.
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