Calendula
The Beautiful Herb That Earned Its Place in My Garden
Calendula is one of those herbs I just LOVE growing.
It’s prolific, absolutely gorgeous and gives me beautiful yellow and orange flowers over and over throughout the season.
And it’s useful.
That’s pretty much the perfect combination around here.
I use Calendula in teas, salves, infused oils and even the lip balm I make and sell.
It’s also a great herb to start with if you’re just beginning to learn how to actually use what you’re growing.
Learn It. Grow It. Use It.
Learn It.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is one of those plants that makes learning herbs feel easy.
You don’t need to know 50 herbs or everything every herb can possibly do.
Start with one.
Learn what it looks like. Grow it. Learn when to harvest it. Figure out how you’re actually going to use it.
Then add another.
Calendula is a pretty darn good one to start with.
Watch the video to Learn it. Grow it. Use It.
Grow It.
Calendula grows incredibly easily for me.
Here in Northern Michigan, I need to replant it each year, but once it gets going, it just keeps going.
I can harvest flowers throughout the summer and well into our cooler weather. Mine will even handle some light frosts and continue giving me flowers when a lot of the garden is already calling it quits for the year.
And here’s one of my FAVORITE parts:
Calendula is ridiculously easy to save seed from.
Let some of those flowers mature and go to seed, collect the seeds, save them and plant them again next year.
Buy the seed once and you can potentially keep growing Calendula for free forever.
Now that’s my kind of plant.
MONEY IN THE BANK
Buy Calendula seed once. Grow it. Save the seed. Plant it again next year.
One packet can become years of Calendula. That’s money in the bank.
Harvest It.
Calendula is one of those herbs I can keep coming back to as more flowers open throughout the season.
I like to harvest mine in the morning after the dew has dried and the flowers have opened.
And when you pick one, you’ll probably notice something.
It’s a little sticky.
That’s something I actually look for when I’m harvesting my Calendula.
I pick the flower heads and preserve them depending on what I’m planning to make with them later.
And don’t harvest every single flower!
Leave some for the pollinators and let some mature completely so you can collect those seeds for next year’s garden.
Use It.
This is my favorite part.
Those gorgeous orange and yellow flowers aren’t just sitting in my garden looking pretty.
I actually use them.
I’ll add Calendula to teas, dry flowers to use later, infuse them into oil and use that oil to make a simple healing salve that we keep on hand.
I also use Calendula in the Organic Sweet Orange Calendula Lip Balm that I handcraft and sell in my Etsy shop.
It’s another one of those full-circle things I love.
You planted a seed.
You grew the plant.
You harvested the flowers.
You preserved them.
And now you’re holding something useful that started as a tiny seed in your garden.
That’s Learn It. Grow It. Use It.
And Then… Save the Seeds!
Before the season ends, don’t forget the part that starts the whole cycle over again.
Let some of your Calendula flowers completely mature and form seeds.
Save them.
Plant them next year.
And do it all over again.
One packet of Calendula seeds can turn into years and years of flowers without buying another packet.
Or, as I’d say around here…
Money in the bank.
Want to Keep Learning Herbs?
Calendula is just one herb.
You don’t have to learn them all at once.
I’ve gathered my herbal resources, videos, free downloads, growing information and lessons together in my Everyday Herbs hub so you have one place to start.
Learn It. Grow It. Use It.
A Note From Laura
The information shared here is for educational purposes and reflects my own experiences growing and using herbs on our homestead. I am not a medical professional. Always positively identify plants before using them and consult a qualified healthcare provider when appropriate, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or have a health condition.
