2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Even novice gardeners know firsthand about these sunny flowers. Marigold or calendula is one of the most common plants in the plots. If you don't have him in your garden yet, then we publish 9 reasons to make friends with him
There are few gardeners who have never heard of calendula or marigolds. One of the birthplaces of this flower is the Mediterranean. Botany find it difficult to name more precise coordinates of its first appearance. The medicinal properties of marigolds have always been used by pharmacists and traditional healers since ancient times. Calendula prefers to grow in temperate climates and is quite unpretentious. There are several reasons why you should have this garden flower on your site.
1. Bright and cheerful garden decor
Yellow-orange flowers, like little "suns", give the garden a decorative and positive look. They bloom for a long time and noticeably refresh the area.
2. Calendula is easy to grow
Calendula loves a mild climate, but quickly adapts to almost any conditions. However, she suffers, and sometimes dies from excessive heat and severe frosts. The plant is grown from seeds that are sown in damp ground without covering them. Any type of soil is suitable for marigolds, not waterlogged. It is preferable for them to grow in the sun and warmth. With good compost fertilization, the plants bloom beautifully.
3. Attracting predatory insects
Some gardeners plant calendula on their plots to attract predatory insects, which reduce the pest population. These are, for example, hoverflies that eat black flies, aphids.
4. Used for cooking
The Germans use marigold as a flavoring agent, and the British use it as a natural color for soup, butter and cheese. When dried, calendula petals can be added to rice dishes for a savory flavor. Seasoning "Egyptian Saffron", which can be bought on the Far East market, is dry calendula petals, which have medicinal properties much better than that of saffron.
Some cooks add fresh calendula petals to salads and side dishes. Fresh and dry crushed petals are good for the cake batter, as well as for its decor.
5. Excellent feed for chickens
Calendula is very beneficial for poultry. For chickens raised on poultry farms, it is useful to add marigold extract to the feed. The eggshell of chickens becomes dark, the color of the yolks improves. You can simply mix the petals with the food. They increase the amount of carotene and have antimicrobial properties.
6. Medicinal tea is brewed from calendula flowers
Calendula has phytochemical and medicinal properties that make it useful in homeopathy and herbal medicine. It is safe for both external and internal use. Flowers grown on their plots are more environmentally friendly and healthier than industrial calendula.
* How to use fresh calendula flowers?
You need to collect fully open flowers that are not affected by aphids. Rinse them in water, then pour boiling water over them and close the container for 20 minutes. Filter and drink like tea.
* How to use dried flowers?
1-2 tablespoons of dry calendula petals are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for about half an hour. Then they are filtered. Drinking 2-3 glasses of warm infusion of calendula, you can get rid of heat, intestinal irritation and alleviate the symptoms of stomach ulcers. If your baby has a tummy ache, you can give him a spoonful of calendula tea. The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of calendula have been proven by research.
7. Fighting skin problems
Calendula extract is found in various ointments used to treat skin conditions such as eczema. You can also prepare calendula-based ointment at home:
* Fill a jar half-filled with dry calendula flowers with olive oil. Stir, cover and place in a dark place for 6 weeks. Shake the jar a couple of times a week. Then the oil is filtered.
* Pour dry calendula flowers with olive oil and put the jar in the sun for a week, shaking in the morning and evening, and then strain. Store the oil in a dark place.
8. Cuts and bruises can be treated
Ointment made from marigolds can be used to successfully treat cuts and bruises. It has antiseptic properties, kills pathogenic microbes, reduces pain and reduces inflammation. Calendula promotes healing of cuts without leaving noticeable scars as it repairs damaged tissue well.
9. Cleansing the skin from acne
Most of the ointments that are used to remove blackheads are based on calendula. For people suffering from acne, and these are mostly teenagers, it is useful to wash with a tincture made from fresh calendula flowers, infused in water in the sun for 5-6 hours.
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