Your Pot Marigold (calendula officianalis) flowers will follow the sun, opening at daybreak and closing as soon as the sun goes down. This is one of the best herbs to grow along side your veggies because thay attract insects that go on to munch on aphids. Their bright blooms are fabulous in the garden and are also a long-lasting cut flower to bring some of that exuberant colour into your home. And that colour is can be used as a food colourant and as a dye for cloth. Of course, you can choose to eat them, or simply enjoy them and the wildlife that also loves them growing in your garden. Height 30-45cm Annual
Price for 50 seeds
This variety is part of our naturally nurtured range, the seed comes from an organic source
SPRING: seeds in a seed tray but only cover them very lightly. When large enough to handle pot up into individual pots and grow on ready to plant out.
SUMMER: plant out and dead head regularly, harvest fresh petals for culinary use (try using as a colouring for rice), harvest flower heads and tops for dyeing
AUTUMN: pull up and compost old plants.
USES:
GREAT FOR WILDLIFE
- Honey Bees and Bumble Bees
- Hoverflies: their larvae are voracious predators of aphids and other garden pests.
- Sow liberally around your vegetables to attract lacewings whose larvae will munch on aphids
- Butterflies and moths
- ladybirds
- An RHS listed plant for pollinators
EDIBLE
- The flowers are edible – add to salads, decorate cakes or use as a saffron substitute
- Fresh petals are a traditional yellow cheese colorant
- Use to colour rice yellow
- The leaves have a slight bitterness but young leaves can be added to spring salads.
IN THE GARDEN
- Plant near where you might eat in the garden – reputed to keep flies and mosquitoes away – or crush the leaves and scatter
- The sticky substance on the pot marigold leaf attract and trap aphids
- A good addition to your compost heap - it has been suggested it quickens the breakdown of compost
- For those with a greenhouse or coldframe these are particularly useful to attract pollinating insects into those spaces plus they help deter whitefly.
- They simply are a very cheerful flower to grow and enjoy.
NATURAL DYE PLANT
- Colours ranging from butter, gold & yellow to orange. When modified with alum & iron, you can expect shades of olive-green
- You can use the flowers & plant tops
- Flowers can be gathered and frozen until you have enough to ‘play’ with
- Using Dyeing calendula officianalis to dye with can be found further down
HISTORICAL
- Calendular officianalis is one of the oldest of all cultivated flowers - described in 300 BC
- It has been used for medicinal purposes since at least the 12th century
- The flowers are known to close when rain is expected and so they have culturally been used as a rough predictor for weather
- A symbol of redemption after death in Christian mythology
- In Mexico it is also considered a flower of death, believed to originate from the blood of the indigene people slain by the Spanish conquerors
- Calendula has numerous mythological properties, such as the ability to strip a witch of her will, or wreaths of marigolds hung over a door would prevent evil from entering. They were specifically picked at Midsummer for their supposed healing properties
MEDICINAL: see caution
- The flowers (or an extract of calendula) are valued for their medicinal properties, for healing and soothing in particular
- Modern pharmacological studies have shown fungicidal, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties in calendula extracts: there are claims about treatment for acne and dermatitis, however studies are inconclusive on its effectiveness
- Caution: anybody wishing to use plants for medicinal effect are advised to consult their medical professional
- Please Note: we do not promote the medicinal use of plants – guidance and information should be sought elsewhere.
DID YOU KNOW
- The seed shaped like a letter C it is actually an achene, which is a fruit which contains the seed
DYEING WITH CALENDULA OFFICIANALIS
- Prepare your T-shirts or fabric: Scour/wash, Mordant & Rinse or Bind (find out more here)
- You will need a stainless steel sieve
Prepare the Pot Marigold Dye bath
- Fresh, dried or frozen Pot Marigold flowers. I like fresh or frozen flowers but you need more than if using dried. At a minimum 100% dried flower weight to dry fabric weight and if using fresh flowers then you need about double the weight of flowers to fabric weight. Use a bit more when using frozen flowers, no need to defrost, remember dyeing is not an exact science.
- The dye bath is a bit like brewing tea for a long time – half fill your dye pot with water (you need a large enough pot and dye water to give space for the fabric for the stage after this), bring to the boil before adding your Pot Marigold flowers, boil them for about 5 minutes before reducing the temperature and simmering for an hour. If possible leave them soaking overnight.
- Sieve out the flowers (they can be added to your compost heap) and return the dye water to the pot before adding your pre-soaked T-shirt, submerge it and pop the lid on.
- Gradually bring back to a simmer, gently stirring your fabric occasionally for an even coverage and you are happy with the colour. Turn off the heat and let the dye pot cool sufficiently that you can wring out your T-shirt… you can leave the fabric soaking overnight for the colour to deepen. Adding vinegar or lemon juice can brighten the yellow (these are be dye modifiers).
- The dyebath can be used for another T-shirt (it will be a paler shade as some of the dye has been used) or tipped out into your garden.
- Rinse your T-shirt then gently hand wash with Ph neutral detergent and rinse again (it is normal for some dye to wash out), hang in the shade to dry. Once the fabric is dry you can further ‘set’ the colour by ironing with a hot dry iron. Wear and enjoy your Callendula officinalis dyed T-shirt.