Today 
Tomorrow
RSSPlants
Marigolds and French tarragon
Posted by: Jekka McVicar, 18 April 2008, 04.23PM
With 23 days to go until we build our display at the Chelsea Flower Show, the first buds of pot marigolds, Calendula officinalis, are showing. Their timing couldn't have been more perfect.
The marigolds will be in full flower in time for the show. The plants are for our own display, the theme of which is the myth and magic of herbs. Calendula is steeped in both. It was first used in Indian and Arabic cultures, before being discovered by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. In medieval England, marigolds were considered an emblem of love and were a chief ingredient in a complicated spell that promised young maidens knowledge of whom they would marry.
I wish other plants were as prepared for Chelsea as the marigolds. This year we've had problems with light levels, as the warm intense sun has appeared in-between both rain and snow showers. While the plants are growing rapidly in the greenhouse, they're also growing soft; we're having to move them outside to keep their growth turgid. However, the downpours and hail storms damage the plants and split them apart, so we have to tie up the soft growth on each plant before placing it outside. French tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus, is a case in point.
I love stories associated with tarragon. Dracunculus means 'little dragon', which could refer to the shape of French tarragon's roots, or to its fiery flavour. It was certainly believed to heal bites from snakes, serpents and other venomous creatures.
Plants for each of the flower shows are marked out with coloured labels: red denotes plants destined for Chelsea, blue for Hampton Court and yellow for Art in Action. This way we can monitor how the plants are doing, and which ones need pushing or holding back for the dates of each show.
Comments
Hilary Flatman
19 April 2008, 07.15PM
Thank you for your comment
Thank you for your comments. All comments will be looked at by a moderator, however, due to the numbers of comments we receive, we can't promise that all will be posted on the site.