Calendula officinalis
English marigold, marigold, pot marigold
Daisy-like flowerheads in a vivid shade of orange, create a wonderful display when they appear in profusion above...
GOES WELL WITH
How to use companion plants
Companion planting is a method of growing different plants adjacent to one another for the benefit of one or both of the companions. Some plants are thought to confuse or act as a decoy to potential pests, while a few provide food for the pest's natural
Read full articleDealing with common pests and diseases
One of the first things you learn when you start gardening is that plants are not alone in the garden. There is a whole host of bugs that set up home in your beds and borders as well as an alarming range of microscopic bacteria, fungi and viruses that are
Read full articleAphids
Most commonly thought of as the small, fat, green insects covering roses. However, aphids can also be black, yellow, pink, greyish-white and brown. They are all about 2mm long, round and full of sap.
Read full articleSow annuals in pots
If you have redundant space in your heated greenhouse why not try sowing a few flowering annuals such as cornflowers, calendulas, godesia and nemesia for pots of colourful blooms next spring? Sow in trays of compost and prick out seedling when large en
Read full articleSow colourful annuals
Fast-maturing annuals, such as calendula, candytuft, clarkia, cosmos, godetia and nasturtium, can still be sown now for a succession of colour throughout the summer months. If you live in a mild area, make three or four sowings spaced two weeks apart from
Read full articleGet more flowers
Deadheading will prevent them setting seed and so use their energy producing a further flush of blooms later on. Plants that respond well to deadheading include annuals such as Ageratum, Alyssum, Antirrhinum, Calendula, Centaurea, Cosmos, Dahlia, foxglove
Read full articleSow Annuals in Late Summer
Fast-maturing annuals, such as calendula, candytuft, clarkia, cosmos, godetia and nasturtium, can still be sown now for colour in late summer if you live in a mild area.
Read full articleFlowers for the cutting garden
At some stage in June, your garden will be a glorious affair full of scent and soft flower. Placing a posy from the garden, close to a family hub like the kitchen table, unites your home and garden as effectively as having a huge picture window. You don’t
Read full articleFloral gastronomy
I used to be a bit sceptical about all this new-fangled fashion for eating flowers. All a bit Guardianista, I thought. Looks nice and all that, but what about the flavour? Well. Then I ate a rosemary flower. And found out about the flavour, and why people
Read full articlePlants birds love in the winter garden
As frost descends and the leaves gather on the lawn, the most important colour is red because it glows against the backdrop of fading stems in muddy shades of khaki, grey and brown. Red’s the colour that fixes the rest of the palette and luckily red berri
Read full articleSowing tough hardy annual seeds
If you are wanting to have a go at growing seeds then the easiest of all are the annuals because they are programmed to germinate, flower and set seed within one year - therefore they pop up easily because there’s no time to waste. Most will provide necta
Read full article