Calendula Touch of Red

A calendula with a secret. Touch of Red produces burnished orange blooms that reveal a mahogany-red reverse — a shimmering two-tone effect that catches the evening light and gives the border a warmth and depth that single-coloured varieties cannot match.

A sophisticated cottage garden classic that is as beautiful in a vase as it is in the ground, and one of the most effective companions for dark-toned flowers like Black Ball cornflower and Poppy Lauren’s Grape.

• Calendula officinalis — Hardy Annual (H3)
• Height: 50–60cm | Flowers: June–October
• Direct sow March–May or September for early blooms
• Full sun; well-drained soil — tolerates poor soil
• Cut-and-come-again — deadhead regularly
• Petals edible — excellent pollinator plant

Grow it with Cornflower Black Ball for a combination of burnished orange and dark velvet that glows in the late afternoon sun.