Calendula

Calendula is an annual edible flower that will happily self seed if you let it. Beautiful yellow or orange flowers emerge in late spring and will continue to flower all the way into fall if you dead head regularly. I harvest these beauties by snapping off the half to full open flower heads every morning and letting them dry flower face down on a screen. You can infuse fresh flower heads in oil in a sunny window sill for a week or two for a rich healing body oil that will be a beautiful golden color and is wonderful for rashes. Harvest fresh petals to sprinkle on salads or bring a pop of color to any food dish! Save any flowers that you let go to seed and sow them yourself in late winter in a greenhouse or early spring directly in the garden. 

Calendula prefers full sun/part shade and afternoon shade if you're in a hot summer zone

1-2 ft tall and wide. Space plants 6-12 inches a part

Soggy soils can cause the roots to rot. This plant prefers rich, well-draining soil and tolerates a wide range of soil pH but prefers a slightly acidic to neutral soil. Keep the ground around plants clear of dead foliage to prevent slug and snails from eating young leaves.