Friday, February 08, 2008

Pot Marigold

Pot Marigold
Calendula officinalis 'Kablouna Mix'
(ka-LEN-dew-luh) (oh-fiss-ih-NAH-liss)
Synonym: English Marigold

This beautiful flower came from a packet of seed I sowed last spring. I just prepared the ground and put the seed out and it produced an interesting mix of colors. Calendula is actually an edible flower that the petals can also be used for skin ointments. Medicinal uses for this Mediterranean native date back to the 12th century. It is a cool season annual that benefits from being cut back in hot weather.

I have been going through old pictures on my hard drive in preparation for making some back up disks and have been copying the files on to another external hard disk. All you photographers please don’t put his off too long! I actually lost the original files from all the pictures I took in 2004 and 2005 because my external HD failed and when I went to use my back up DVDs they were blank. Since then I have put a new system in place for backups. Over the next couple of days I will backing up all the photos I took last year (most are done) and will be featuring some of the extra flowers that I find.


This white Clematis is trained to grow up a Japanese Maple seedling that I got at the Bartlett Arboretum plant sale a few years ago. I find that small trees and shrubs can offer a good support for the vines to grow. I like how the flowers stand out against the green Maple foliage. It seems to keep the deer from eating the Clematis, also. Plus you will probably be the only one on your block with a 'Flowering' Japanese Maple

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I haven't really grown marigolds here but my mom always had them in her beds in Texas. I would go around picking the flowers and seed heads and we've almost always have little marigolds cropping up in places they weren't supposed to be.

I might have to buy some now.

Unknown said...

I love calendula--especially the fragrance of the flowers, which is delicate but full of sunlight. I can't wait to see them blooming, even though here they don't come on til mid-late summer.

Joey said...

Your picture of Marigold Plant is beautiful. Is the white flower- a Hibiscus 'Simply Love'? Looks similar. Would you appreciate Gloxinia?
This is mine. Comments please
Houseplant

Diane Dehler said...

That's a beautiful calendula flower. I understand that a rinse of it will brighten light hair and make it glossy.

AVCr8teur said...

The marigold is beautiful. I've been thinking what kinds of flowers I should be planting in front of my house. I live in a neighborhood where the streets are named after flowers and one of the streets is called Clematis.

Digital Flower Pictures said...

Hi nisti,
Remember that Calendula is not a true Marigold. It is only a common name. True Marigolds are from the genus Tagetes. Both are beautiful flowers with low upkeep. Why not plant some of both? ;)

jodi, thanks for stopping by. That is a good way to describe them, delicate sunshine. I like that.

practise, I don't think I have seen you here before so welcome. I will check out your site.

Princess! Hi there. I am going to visit your site, also. You are right about the Calendula, it is used in many hair products.

av, that sounds like a cool neighborhood. You are lucky with your climate you really have a wealth of choices.