Sunshine Farm & Garden

CALENDULA, Herb of the Year 2008

Calendula, or pot Marigold, is a wonderful delight of a plant. It only lasts one season, but does reseed itself if allowed to. It loves a sunny , well-drained spot in your herb or flower garden and will bloom until first frost. Usually a yummy yellow gold color, it brightens even the dullest, rainy summer day.

The word calendula comes from the Latin calens, meaning the first day of the month, because the Romans thought that this was when the plant bloomed. Christians called it Amarygold or Amarybud because of its blooming coincided with festivals celebrating the Virgin Mary. Other names for this herb include: summer's bride, husbandman's dial, holigold, and poor man's saffron because its color and mild pepper taste made it an excellent and inexpensive substitute for saffron. It was once used to give color to margarine. It is still used in natural dyes for wool.

*Medicinally, calendula can be a very effective skin conditioner for cuts, scrapes, wounds, bug bites and burns.

Here is a simple recipe for a salve:

1.) Pluck calendula flowers and put them in a jar with olive oil and cover with cheesecloth, put this in the sun for about a week and the oil will turn a nice honey color.
2.) Strain out the flowers and place the oil in a pan.
3.) Add a cube (aprox. 2"x2"x2") of beeswax to the oil.
4.) Heat on low until beeswax is melted.
5.) Pour the mixture back in the jar, add a few drops of essential oils if desired. Put a lid on the jar. In a few hours this will harden into a salve.

*Calendula also makes a delightful tea when mixed with mints or lemon balm. The flowers, if unsprayed, are totally edible and make for a great garnish for summer dishes.

*To make a Flower Ice Cube: Fill ice cube trays half full of water and place an edible bloom or petals on the water in each cube. Freeze until firm, then fill the tray with water and freeze again.

*To make a Flower Ice Ring- Fill ring mold half full of water and place edible blooms or petals on water in ring. Freeze until firm, then fill the mold with water and freeze again.

FLOWER PUNCH:

2 C Water
2/3 C Sugar
3 Tablespoons fresh Mint (cut up)
1 C Orange Juice
1/2 C Lemon Juice
2 C Strong brewed regular Tea (decaf is OK)
1 One Liter bottle Club Soda, chilled
1 large stem of Lavender, or Borage flowers
Rose, Calendula or Pansy petals Flower Ice Cubes or Ice Ring

Place water, sugar, mint and lavender or borage in a large stainless steel pan. Bring to Boiling, Remove and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth lined colander. Add Orange Juice, Lemon Juice and Tea to flavored water, Chill. Just before serving, add chilled Club Soda. Sprinkle punch with edible flowers and serve with ice cubes or ring. Makes about 3 qts or 16 servings.

Whether your application is culinary or medicinal, it is best to grow your own flowers and herbs! Only use plants that you know have not been sprayed with poisons or herbicides. Washing herbs isn't good enough, plants absorb these poisons and so will you! Calendula can easily be grown in a pot on the deck or in a window box if located in a sunny spot.

LEMON POTPOURRI RECIPE WITH CALENDULA FLOWERS

2 C Lemon Verbena leaves dried
/2 C Lemon Balm leaves dried
1/2 C Lemon Thyme leaves dried
1/2 C Orange Mint dried
1/4 C Lemon Geranium leaves dried (Mabel Gray geranium if possible)
Peel of 1 Lemon, dried and crushed
2 C Calendula Petals dried
1/4 C Orris Root dried
10 drops Lemon Verbena oil

You can add any other lemon-scented herbs, such as lemon grass, lemon eucalyptus, etc. You can use Orange Peel instead of Lemon. Feel free to change it and make it your own personal recipe. Just remember to write it down!