Spring starts early here in southern California, and that means you have to be ready! For an early display of colorful annuals in late February and March, you’ve got to get those seeds in the ground in October and November. But winter can bring cold days and hard rain, so you need seedlings that are tough and durable enough to keep growing through the gray days.
An ideal choice is the calendula. Their brilliant yellow and orange daisy-like flowers explode from winter-grown plants in the first weeks of warm weather, perfect for either borders or bed plantings of moderate height. They are very hardy, have a unique enticing spicy fragrance, and bloom extravagantly if they’ve had a chance to fatten up on winter rains first.
Calendulas come in a vast variety of shades of yellow and orange, from delicate pale or lemon yellow to orange-peel orange and luscious apricot, usually with brown centers, but also with pale yellow centers. Some newer varieties like Burpee’s “Dwarf Double Gem” have outer petals so plush they almost hide the center completely.
It is almost impossible to buy separate seeds of any particular color or shade. The best method is to buy packets that contain an assortment, such as the ever-popular “Pacific Giant” available from many brands.
Calendulas grow in almost any soil, but you should add a little all-purpose fertilizer when lightly spading. Plant in November or late October after the weather cools. Cover the cute crescent-shaped seeds with about ¼” of soil and put a little fine mulch on top. Seeds will sprout within a couple weeks and plants will grow green and fat all winter. Sorry, the leaves look a little weedy! But that only shows how robust these plants are.
For a thick spectacular bloom, avoid thinning the plants as much as the seed packets recommend – let them grow lush and crowded, and they will reward you with a gorgeous mass of yellow and orange flowers in early spring. Your bright, cheery display will ignite the envy of your neighbors!
