This is a favorite cottage garden flower and culinary herb that has become a popular plant for bedding and to provide bright splashes of color in flower borders.
There is a wide choice of colors, based around the yellow and orange spectrum, and forms from simple semi-double to fully double with prominently crested centres. 'Fiesta Gitana' is one of the most popular dwarf varieties, more compact than the species and earlier to flower (especially if sown in autumn or under glass), with yellow and orange double blooms. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Calendula
Species: officinalis
Cultivar: Fiesta Gitana
Plant type: Hardy annual
Flower colour: Mixed
Foliage colour: Mid-green
Feature: Flowers
Sun exposure: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil: Well-drained/light, Moist
Hardiness: Hardy
Skill level: Beginner
Height: 30cm
Spread: 23cm
Time to plant seeds: September to May
Plant ¼” below the surface. To start seed indoors, plant in small pots or a flat; keep evenly moist and at 60-65 degrees. Germination should take place within 5-10 days.