The surprises do abound in this peachy, pink tinged double-flowered beauty.
Long a staple in European, particularly German cooking and an excellent saffron substitute, the edible petals of the Pink Surprise Calendula provide color and a peppery flavor to many rice dishes and soups, even teas. While completely edible, the center of this flower has a bitter taste so only the petals are generally eaten, fresh or dried.
Grown for centuries for its medicinal, anti inflammatory properties, Calendula petals are still carefully cultivated today, fresh and dried for many fine homeopathic balms, tinctures and soaps. Monasteries across Europe prized the Calendula for its wound healing properties as well. The petals of Pink Surprise, as with other Calendulas are also fed to chickens to promote a darker colored yolk.
This easily grown, hardy annual shines when grown as a companion plant with other annuals or to complement the perennial garden. At 18 to 24 inches in height and approximately 18 inches of spread Pink Surprise holds its own, adding color to your borders and provides a striking contrast to your purple sage, larkspur and salvia. The lovely 2 to 3 inch blooms and strong stems make it an excellent candidate for both fresh and dried floral arrangements.
Pink Surprise Calendula is extremely tolerant of most soil conditions, disease resistant and a wonderful way to attract bees, butterflies, lady bugs and other beneficial insects to your beautiful garden. A powerhouse of popular, Calendula is also a frequent resident in prized organic gardens. Pink Surprise Calendula thrives in coastal gardens or cottage flower beds and never fails to impress.
- Type: Flower
- Color: Peachy Orange
- Height: 18" - 24" Tall
- Width: 18" Spread
- Season: Annual
- Zones: 4 to 10
- Environment: Full sun / light shade
- Uses: Flower beds, along walkways, borders or driveways. Great as a cut flower in fresh and dried bouquets.
SOWING THE SEED
Calendula seeds can be sown indoors, or directly outdoors as well. If started indoors, sow in peat pots, 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last frost. Sow 3 to 4 seeds per pot, at a shallow depth of about 1/16" under topsoil. Transplant entire peat pots into the garden, or direct sow when the weather is warm and all danger of frost has passed.
GROWING CONDITIONS
Calendula plants will thrive in an area of full sunlight to light shade. They prefer temperatures that are around 70F and aren't too picky on soil conditions. Actually, Calendula plants can thrive in even the poorest, sandy soils. Just make sure that the sowing medium is well drained. To increase drainage, we recommend adding a light compost to areas containing hard, compact soil. Water daily with a spray bottle, or mist setting to avoid drowning the seeds.
GERMINATION & GROWTH
Calendula seeds are known to germinate in roughly 7 to 14 days after sowing. The plants can reach a mature height of roughly 12 to 18 inches tall and can be spaced about 12 to 18 inches apart from one another. Pink Surprise Calendula will produce gorgeous, 2.5 inch, orange-pink colored blooms. The flower heads are edible and go great in salads, to add a bit of extra color.
Front Side
Seed packets by Seed Needs are beautifully illustrated and provide a colorful depiction of the variety inside. We provide the common name, as well as the scientific name, seed quantity and a few specs about the variety to be grown.
Back Side
Each packet contains full growing instructions on the reverse side. Specifications on sowing the seed, growing conditions such as sunlight and moisture preferences and germination and growth information can be found as well. We also provide a QR to scan for easy reordering.
- Always Non-GMO / Untreated.
- Stored in a temperature controlled facility that's free of moisture.
- Always packaged for the current and the following growing seasons.
- True to the varieties advertised.
- 99% pure seed with no added fillers.
- Always Non-GMO / Untreated.
- Stored in a temperature controlled facility that's free of moisture.
- Always packaged for the current and the following growing seasons.
- True to the varieties advertised.
- 99% pure seed with no added fillers.
Always fresh and intended for the current and following growing seasons. Seeds are packaged in water resistant / tear resistant packaging.
Heirlooms are varieties that have been purposely bred, selected and passed down from generation to generation. They are wholesome picks that will breed true to the parent seed every time.
Seed Needs never knowingly purchases treated seeds products. We also do not treat any of our seed products with substances such as neonicotinoid or thyram.
Flowers will attract all sorts of beneficial insects to the garden, such as butterflies, bumblebees, honeybees and ladybugs.
A SEED COMPANY ON A MISSION FOR CHANGE
Seed Needs has been providing gardeners with quality seed products since 2010 and has shipped millions of packets to happy customers all over the US. We offer flowers, herbs, vegetables, vines, wildflower blends, seed packet collections and seed packet favors.
With the success of our brand, we have kept our promise to continually donate to different organizations and personally sponsor children all over the globe each and every month. We grew our sponsorships from just 1 child to over 100 children worldwide in only a few years. We would like to sincerely thank all who support us because it wouldn't be possible without you!
Check out our charitable contributions!
A SEED COMPANY ON A
MISSION FOR CHANGE
Seed Needs has been providing gardeners with quality seed products since 2010 and has shipped millions of packets to happy customers all over the US. We offer flowers, herbs, vegetables, vines, wildflower blends, seed packet collections and seed packet favors.
With the success of our brand, we have kept our promise to continually donate to different organizations and personally sponsor children all over the globe each and every month. We grew our sponsorships from just 1 child to over 100 children worldwide in only a few years. We would like to sincerely thank all who support us because it wouldn't be possible without you!
Check out our charitable contributions!