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.