« 22 Hours in A Country Garden | Main | Sunday morning on the balcony »
Tuesday
Jul142009

Calendula officinalis 'Flashback'

Calendula officinalis 'Flashback'

'Flashback' basks in the early morning sun.

Calendula officinalis 'Flashback' #3

Shades of Firefox
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pot marigolds on my balcony? Orangey-yellowy flowers of any kind? Never and not likely used to be my responses. And I probably turned up my nose, too. Then last year I saw Gayla's gorgeous photos and knew I wanted a 'Flashback' glow in my 2009 garden.

Calendula officinalis 'Flashback'_4315

Softer, later, smaller -- the calendulas blooming this week on my balcony.

And then everything goes bee,
sun exploding into green,
the mad sky dive
through shards of diamond light,
earth veering left, then right,
then left, sweet scented,
the honing in,
the buzz,
the yes no dance,
the quantum leap into
open swoon of calendula,
yellow orange delphinium starflower,
ultraviolet milkweed forget-me-not,
caress of corolla carpel calyx....

(Di Brant, from “Interspecies Communication” in Now You Care. I found this poem in "Five Canadian Women Eco-Poets" on Harriet, the Poetry Foundation's blog.

 

Growing Notes:

  1. Sowed seeds on April 19th. (This was late -- Calendulas bloom best in cool weather so I should have sowed them earlier, ideally in March.)
  2. First seedlings appeared about a week later.
  3. Seedlings grew indoors on a sunny windowsill until mid-May.
  4. On the May long weekend (16th-18th), I transplanted 12 calendula into three large (22- & 24- inch or 56 to 61 centimetre) containers with one established plant from the previous year -- a green Pennisetum or 'Black Beauty' heuchera. (I'm still looking for a third plant -- preferably one that trails. Any suggestions?)
    Calendula officinalis 'Flashback'_4350
  5. My mom's calendulas (top two photos), which get sunlight from dawn to dusk, started blooming about June 24th, 66 days after sowing.
  6. My calendulas are in a hanging basket at the front of my balcony and are about 2 weeks behind Mom's, likely because they get less sunlight. The first blossom opened on July 9th, 81 days after sowing.

Calendula officinalis 'Flashback'_4313 Calendula officinalis 'Flashback'_4355_2

 

Resources on Calendula officinalis:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now I'm wondering:  Have you ventured to new regions of the colour spectrum this season, either with plants or pots or both? And what plants ("thrills", "fills" or "spills'), if any, would you combine with calendula in a container?

Reader Comments (3)

They're gorgeous! It's amazing how plants that you worry could be gaudy look so beautiful with the rest of the garden.

July 14, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterArwen from Hoglet K

Yes, I'm beginning to love the fiery colours as well, although I think my first loves will always be the whites pinks and purples.

July 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterTess

I agree, Arwen. In nature, all colours seem to work together.

Hi Tess, I've discovered I can live with all colours of the spectrum as long as they are they are in the shade my eye likes; e.g., butter yellow - yes; goldenrod - not so much. I never grow tired of white, lavender purple, and pinks like 'Heirloom Cupid' sweet peas.

July 15, 2009 | Registered CommenterElaine

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>