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Name: Pot marigold, English marigold, calendula. Having a number of common names is a good indicator of the value of a plant, especially for additional practices.
The bright orange flowers are often used in cooking, particularly as a cheap alternative for the much more expensive spice, saffron. It has long been used as a healing herb for use on minor cuts and scratches and is still available in pharmacies as a cream preparation.
Botanical name: The botanical name of pot marigold shows the plant may be used as a herbal medicine. The second part of the name, officinalis, means purchase in shops, which is taken to mean that dried calendula was sold as an over-the-counter herbal remedy.
It is an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory and has also been used for treating internal inflammations such as ulcers. The orange flowers are the part used for medicinal purposes. The orange petals can also be eaten in salads, and traditionally in soup, which gives the name pot marigold.
Family: Calendula is member of the large daisy family, many of which are bioactive. Daisy family members, the Asteraceae, have a strong proportion of plants that exhibit healing capacity, including this one.
Garden value
Apart from the medicinal qualities of the plant, calendula is a very decorative relatively small annual flower. It is produces masses of bright orange or yellow flowers from spring right through summer and autumn, and even shows a few flowers in the depths of winter. These flowers are of great value to pollinating insects visiting the garden during warm days in winter and early spring. Occasionally, hard frost can affect the foliage of the plant. It is evergreen but can prove a little soft for Irish winter weather.
Although it is an annual, the plant often lives for more than one year and it produces lots of seeds to ensure its continuity. Once it is introduced to a garden, it will self-sow and pop up unexpectedly in various corners. It has large woody seeds that germinate readily at any time of year, more so in the warmer months.
Growing calendula
Autumn-germinated seedlings grow nicely through winter and early spring, and start to flower in early summer. They continue in flower right through summer, often making flushes of flowers, and all the time shedding seeds. Not all the seeds produced germinate, some are eaten by insects, but this flower never becomes a weed.
Plants are very easily raised from seeds, simply scattered on the site surface and raked in. Or the seeds can be raised in seed trays or small pots for planting out. Various colours and forms have been selected with red and cream shades as well as double flowers.
Sometimes the flower breeders overdo these things and the basic orange-daisy pot marigold is still the best of the lot, not least because an open flower gives great access to visiting bees, hoverflies and other beneficial insects.
Pot marigold is often grown in a vegetable garden to encourage the predators and parasites of pests, and to cheer up the vegetable greenery.
Calendula was formerly very common in cottage gardens, the abundant seeds being passed on to neighbours, but it became a bit overlooked when fancier flowers became more widely available.
But still, grown in a sunny spot, in well-drained soil, calendula is a delight, practically year-round.
Even though there was a very good prolonged period of dry, warm weather during the summer months of July and August, blackspot of roses has still presented some difficulties this year. Rose varieties that are susceptible to rose blackspot disease must be sprayed to contain disease and reduce damage on the growth of the bushes.
In this case, this year, the damage was done earlier in the season when there was a damp weather and cool conditions. Many bushes recovered, but the disease, once it catches hold, usually continues until the leaves fall in autumn and early winter.
It is worthwhile to spray the withering rose leaves with one of the rose fungicides available in garden centres.
Flowers and containers
Plant spring bulbs as soon as possible. In hanging baskets and other containers, replace the summer plants with some plants for winter and spring, including bulbs. Begin dividing perennial flowers, or planting new plants. Sow annual flower seeds.
Trees, shrubs and roses
Plant evergreens of all kinds, either from pots or as root-balled plants. All pot-grown trees and shrubs can be planted too. Check that young trees are securely staked if they need it – wind-rocking can seriously damage young trees. Prune rambler roses.
Fruit, vegetables and herbs
Plant spring cabbage without delay. Remove old vegetables and do not allow weeds to build up. Lift and store potatoes and carrots now for winter use. Parsnips generally keep better when left in the ground. Prune raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries.
Lawns
Use moss-control if necessary, particularly in shaded areas. Continue mowing and use an autumn lawn fertiliser, unless growth has stopped or the ground is too wet. There is still time to sow a lawn, or to oversow damaged patches, but conditions will not be as good.
Greenhouse and house plants
Pick tomatoes as they continue to ripen, or if the plants have lost leaves, pick the last few green ones to ripen off the vine. Keep the greenhouse tidy and ventilated. Do not over-water, or splash water about. Clean the glass to remove algae and improve light.
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