Calendula officinalis

‘Pygmy Buff’

PYGMY ENGLISH MARIGOLD

Calendula officinalis ‘Pygmy Buff’
PYGMY ENGLISH MARIGOLD

Calendula officinalis ‘Pygmy Buff’ is both pygmy dwarf, and the most gentle apricot and buff  shades. It is a very unusual and soft colouring in the usually vibrant English Marigold world.

Soft apricot with buff reverse & tips

The blooms of Calendula officinalis ‘Pygmy Buff’ are full size, but on a very dwarf, compact growing plant.
So it is ideal for pots, front edges, or planting amongst taller shrubs such as apricot roses.
‘Pygmy Buff has frilly, ruffled double blooms of soft creamy apricot, with buff reverse to the petals, and buff eges and tips to each petal. Unique and delicately lovely colouring.

Profuse & long blooming

Calendula officinalis ‘Pygmy Buff’ gives profuse production of these unusual apricot-buff flowers over a long season, from late spring to autumn end.

Treasure for companion planters & cooks

So ‘Pygmy Buff’ is perfect for the veggie plot, the flower garden, and especially for decorative pots.
Calendula are sometimes known as “Pot Marigolds” for good reason, and ‘Pygmy Buff’ is one of the best for pots because of it’s compact growth and dense flowering.
And it looks stunning in salads or as a garnish, being perfectly edible.

English Marigolds are amongst the most useful of all flowers

Calendula officinalis ‘Pygmy Buff’ has so many benefits to offer, including it’s compact growth.

Edible flowers for the veggie garden

Calendula flowers are also deliciously edible.
So use these pretty apricot-buff petals, either harvested fresh or dried.
And brighten up salads, flavour cream cheese, garnish vegetables or colour rice and couscous with them.

Ward off aphids with companion planting

Calendula are also wonderful “attractor plants” in companion planting.
Because Calendula officinalis have sticky stems, especially designed to attract and successfully trap aphids. Thus keeping aphids off your other crops.
And Calendula officinalis ‘Pygmy Buff’ is particularly useful as a insect deterring, companion underplanting for roses.
It looks smashing under apricot, yellow or white roses.

Repel nematodes in the soil

Plus Calendula are repulsive to nematodes in the soil.
So ‘Pygmy Buff’ does great protective work in the veggie garden or in the flower beds.
By warding off the root chewing nematodes, as well as looking fetchingly pretty.

Make healing Calendula Oil or Calendula Tea

Calendula flowers have a long history in herbal healing treatments.
And Calendula oil is still popular today to help soothe sensitive and inflamed skin, rashes, stings and bites.
While Calendula tea is also reputed to help calm inflammation.

No-one told the rabbits they are good to eat

Luckily no-one seems to have told rabbits and deer that Calendulas are good and healthy to eat.
They tend to pass them by on the way to fodder they like better.

Easy from seed

English Marigolds are amongst the quickest and easiest of all plants to grow from seed. And they also mature to flowering size very quickly.
In fact they are so easy you can just scatter the seeds directly into the garden, wherever you want them to grow, with great success.
Summer, autumn, winter  and early spring are perfect times to scatter.

Quick from seed to flower

Calendula officinalis ‘Pygmy Buff’ begins to flower in approx. 2 months from sowing the seed.

Great fun for kids (even grown up grandparent kids)

Plus established plants will oblige by self-sowing plenty of volunteer babies each year.
So Calendula officinalis ‘Pygmy Buff’ is a great seed for introducing kids to the miracles of gardening. Quick success is assured.

Tough as nails & easy to grow

Plant Calendulas in Full Sun to Partial Shade.
Where they are very unfussy and undemanding plants.

Water-wise & heat hardy

And will oblige even if water is scarce or the days are hot.

30cm. High x 30cm. Wide.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: VERY QUICK & EASY
Perfect for beginners & gardening with kids

Scatter seed directly in the garden where you want them to grow / or sow indoors at any time.

INDOORS: First sow the seed in a punnet on surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then gently press the seeds onto the surface of the mix, to ensure good contact.

Now cover the seed to a depth of 10mm.
And you can use sieved mix, or fine grit, or vermiculite, or washed sand to sprinkle over the seeds.

Then place the sown punnet into a shallow water bath (make sure the water level in the bath is below the surface of the mix).
So the moisture percolates up through the mix from the bottom to the surface.
Soak for a short time until moisture appears on the surface of the mix, and then remove and drain.
Because the mix needs to be moist throughout, but not wet.

Now place the moist punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in any direct sun).

Calendula love warmth to sprout

Temperatures of 18-23°C approx. are best for rapid and optimum germination.
And you can use a temperature-controlled heat mat if you have one to encourage rapid germination, but it is not essential. A window-sill or well-lit corner is also fine.

Adding a clear plastic cover or plastic bag helps to retain moisture in the punnet.

And continue to keep the punnet moist by spraying the surface of the mix with a fine spray water bottle, or re-soaking in the water bath, as required.
(If the punnet is light weight when you pick it up – the mix is drying out and needs another soak from below in the water bath).

Seedlings emerge in approx. 5-10 days.

SEED COUNT: 120 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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