Welcome Neon Calendula, a name by any other name.

The quest for new flower varieties is just a slice of the fun in being a grower. This is particularly true for annuals, as seed packets are inexpensive, annuals generally grow fast and for trials take little space. If successful, we beeline it to the seed source and order more for repeat planting in the flower beds, or for next year.

Spotting Neon Calendula found in Territorial Seeds, just the name was intriguing. Glowing in the dark was not expected, but what shade of orange could the flower look like. We were eager to see this new adventurous color. Once it did bloom, while it is a beauty, it did not resemble anything like neon. On the contrary, the center pedals are a bright orange, slightly shading to a lovely shade of brownish orange, close to an ombré effect. That is the true to life visual of this flower, however, after capturing this unusual beauty on the camera, it was obvious where the name derived. As you see in the picture, some of the pedals seem to glow.

Neon Calendulas will be a new recruit to our annual flower beds. For our gardening zone area 9b, we plant in the fall, and they are blooming by late February. Very hardy, vigorous through frosts, and this year they were really put through the test.

-Mother Judith