Calendulas

I love calendulas. Their fresh, sunshine-like blooms bring a smile to my face, and I can’t stop taking pictures of them. I’m fascinated with their little forked petals. Perhaps I’ve spent a bit too much time staring at them through my camera’s macros lens, but I just find the flowers to be nearly perfect.

I’ve only grown calendulas for the last few years because they were always listed as cool-season annuals in the seed catalogs. I wrinkle my nose at the thought of something that only blooms for a few weeks and then sits dormant for the rest of the summer.

In the last decade or so, calendulas have been bred to withstand heat. My plants bloom all summer long if I deadhead them. Even better, they have no insect or disease problems

My favorite is ‘Sunshine Flashback’ (pictured above) which grows 18-24 inches tall in full sun or partial shade.