Calendula Sherbet Fizz

Tightly ruffled double blooms in soft buff, cream and pale yellow, with every petal backed in deep red-maroon. The two-tone effect is the whole point, and it flickers as the heads move in wind.

The catch is where the red sits. It is on the underside, so a flower facing you square on is buff and cream with only a rim of colour showing. The maroon does its work when the flower is half open, when it is seen from the side, or when light comes through it from behind. Site it accordingly, and in a vase turn some stems so the backs show. Grown facing away from the light it is a pleasant cream flower with the interesting half hidden.

At around 50cm it cuts well, the petals are edible and look good frozen into ice cubes or scattered on a cake, and it is no harder to grow than a plain orange pot marigold. It suits an autumn arrangement, where the maroon picks up seasonal foliage, rather better than a bright summer one.