Calendula 'officinalis'

Sow the seeds in the flowering position covering them with half inch of soil, in late winter for summer flowering or in autumn for late spring flowering. Thin out to the required spacing. Autumn planted seedlings left outdoors for spring flowering will need cloche protection in temperate regions.

These plants thrive with little or no attention on the poorest soils under the worst possible conditions. For best results however and the highest proportion of double flowers, a well drained, medium garden soil is required.

The season for flowers will depend on when the plants were started in the garden. Plants grown from seed planted in the previous autumn will come into flower late spring and plants grown from late winter seed will flower later in the summer. Thus flowers can be present throughout the summer months by splitting the sowing season.