jack POT (marigold)

I guess you could call this a holiday present? Woo hoo! Christmas is here! Have a bunch of gardening posts!! Be prepared for more ;}

I was debating doing a post on a plant that's associated with Christmas to get in the holiday spirit and everything. However holly is mostly decorative and mistletoe is kind of poisonous if consumed so the idea got vetoed. Thus, since I did thyme last time, I figured, why not do pot marigold now. Okay, the connection might be a bit far-fetched but I swear there's a reason it was on my mind.

Common Name: Pot marigold

Scientific Name: Calendula officinalis

Appearance: yellow and orange double flower; stiff stem; dark green, indented leaves;

Type: hardy, annual

Height: ~ 12 inch

Location: sunny; light, rich, well-drained, loam soil; cool weather

Planting: plant nursery-grown plant when 6-week old several weeks before last expected frost; can sow direct in fall/winter in frost-free areas; plant 12 inch apart

Harvest: harvest seeds when petals dried & base is turning brown; can harvest leaves for drying, cut above base of plant

Other: will self-sow if flower heads are left on plant after flowering; general companion plant; deters nematodes in soil

I used the same books as last time in case you were wondering about the source of the information. What stuck out to me about pot marigolds is how they can be companion plants to a variety of other plants. Also we still have that idea about collecting the dried lavender and turning them into sachets so its a possibility to do that with the pot marigold as well.

Until next time!