Calendula Snow Princess

The calendula that does not look like a calendula. Semi-double daisies opening vanilla-cream with a lemon flush on the petal backs, fading nearly to white as they age. Tall at 50 to 60cm, bred for cutting, and a stem holds seven to ten days.

Set your expectations on the colour. The buds open pale yellow, not white, and the flowers only reach near-white after several days, so a plant always carries a range from soft yellow through cream to almost-white at the same time. That gradient is attractive in a border and a nuisance if you need twenty uniformly pale stems for an event. Cut a few days ahead and let them fade in water.

It is a real achievement in calendula breeding and a rare one that belongs in a pale wedding bouquet. It is also the variety most likely to disappoint if it self-seeds, because seedlings run back towards yellow within a generation or two. Buy the packet each year rather than saving seed. The petals are edible and pale enough to scatter over a white iced cake without looking odd.