How to Grow Calendula
'Bronzed Beauty' from Seed
A pot marigold in bronze, buff and soft apricot, with darker petal backs that give each flower depth. As easy as any calendula, and far easier to place.
'Bronzed Beauty' is the calendula for gardeners who have gone off orange. The flowers open in muted shades of bronze, buff and apricot, and the backs of the petals are darker again, so each bloom shows two tones as it unfurls. In a vase it looks warm and slightly vintage, and it sits comfortably beside grasses, dahlias and anything in the rust and copper range.
Underneath the colour, it is a pot marigold like any other. It germinates quickly, flowers for months if you keep picking, and does best on poor soil in full sun. If you have grown calendula before, you already know how to grow this one.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Plant Type
Hardy annual
Sowing Time
Sep · Mar to May
Flowering
June to October
Position
Full sun
Height
40 to 60cm
Difficulty
1 out of 5, very easy
Understanding the Plant
'Bronzed Beauty' is a selection of Calendula officinalis, the common pot marigold, chosen for its soft colouring. The shade varies a little from plant to plant, from pale buff through apricot to deeper bronze, so a patch of it reads as one warm, blended colour.
Like all calendula it is a hardy annual. Plants from a September sowing sit through winter outdoors in most UK gardens and flower weeks earlier than spring-sown plants. The petals are edible, and the open flowers are busy with bees and hoverflies all season.
Why lean soil matters
Calendula grown in rich, heavily fed ground puts its energy into leaves. You get big, lush plants with fewer flowers, and the softer colours of 'Bronzed Beauty' can look washed out against all that green. An unimproved patch in full sun gives more flowers and better colour.
When & How to Sow
Calendula seed is large, curved and easy to handle, which makes this one of the simplest flowers to grow from seed. Sow direct where it is to flower, or start it in modules if you want neat, even plants to set out.
Sow some in September
An autumn sowing gives bushier, stronger plants that start flowering from late May the following year. In cold or very wet gardens, sow into modules and keep the young plants in a cold frame over winter before planting out in March.
Sow 1cm deep and cover well. Calendula seed germinates best in the dark. Expect seedlings in 7 to 14 days.
Sow direct or in modules. Direct sow from March to May where plants are to flower, or sow two seeds per module and plant out once roots fill the cell. Autumn sowings go in during September.
Thin or space plants 25 to 30cm apart. Crowded plants run out of steam sooner and are more prone to mildew in late summer. Good spacing keeps air moving between them.
Growing On Tips
Full sun, lean soil
Give it the sunniest, least fussed-over spot you have. No compost or fertiliser needed at planting.
Pick and deadhead
Cut for the house often and remove fading flowers before the curled seed heads form. A plant left to set seed slows down quickly.
Water sparingly
Water young plants in dry spells. Once established, calendula copes well with dry weather and only needs watering in a long drought.
In the vase
Cut when the flowers are just opening. The darker petal backs show best in young flowers, and the warm tones mix well with grasses and seed heads.
Edible petals
Pull the petals and scatter them over salads or stir them into rice. The muted colour makes a softer garnish than bright orange types.
Good for pollinators
Bees and hoverflies visit the open flowers, and hoverfly larvae feed on aphids, so a few plants near the veg patch earn their space.
Common Problems & How to Fix Them
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Lots of leaf, few flowers | Soil too rich or plants fed | Calendula flowers best on poor to average ground. Stop feeding, and next year sow into an unimproved spot in full sun. |
| Flowering slows in midsummer | Seed heads left on the plant | Remove every fading flower before the curled seed heads form, or cut regularly for the house. Plants usually pick up again within a couple of weeks. |
| White powdery coating on leaves | Powdery mildew, common from late summer | Space plants 25 to 30cm apart, water at the base during dry spells and remove the worst leaves. A September sowing gives plants that flower well before mildew sets in. |
| Blackfly or greenfly on stems | Aphids, often in warm dry weather | Rub them off or rinse with water. Calendula attracts hoverflies, whose larvae eat aphids, so small colonies are often cleared without help. |
| Seedlings eaten overnight | Slugs and snails | Protect young plants on damp nights with wool pellets or a beer trap. Once plants have several true leaves they are far less vulnerable. |
| Flowers paler or darker than expected | Natural variation within the variety | The colour ranges from buff to deeper bronze between plants. If you save seed, take it from the plants whose colour you like best. |
When to Expect Flowers
Spring-sown plants flower from June. September sowings are usually in flower by late May or early June the following year. With regular picking and deadheading, flowering carries on until the first hard frost.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🍂 Autumn sow | ||||||||||||
| 🌿 Spring sow | ||||||||||||
| 🌸 Flowering |
Plant Specifications
Warm, muted calendula for borders and vases
Sow in September or spring, plant it somewhere sunny and lean, and keep picking. You will have bronze and apricot flowers for the house from early summer until the frosts.
Shop Calendula Bronzed Beauty Seeds →