Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

April 24

Calendula. I love this flowering herb for its beautiful yellow-orange petals that can be used in the kitchen as comfortably as in beauty and skin preparations. To a kitchen dish, the lovely hue from the petals can add colour in much the same way as saffron to dishes such as breads, rice, tea, soft cheese, desserts etc. I find it does not have too much of a flavour to it, but it sure is pretty! And it also makes an excellent cut flower and can be used as a dye plant. The petals retain their colour quite well.

This beauty is incredibly easy to grow from seed, and once you plant it, it generally self-seeds each year, which is helpful as it is an annual. It can kind of take over its area, which is why I give it its own space in a sunny area of the garden.

I make a macerated oil (see skincare recipe page) from the petals to be used in skincare to assist with dry skin and use it in different preparations.

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