Calendula a flowering herb that not only adds beauty to the garden but medicinal and culinary value to healthy life style as well
Posted on Feb 19, 2010 under dried flowers | Comments are offIt seems no matter where we go, we are being marketed by products that promise to make us young, beautiful and healthy, whether it is on a billboard, television, radio, or sent to us through the mail. The scary thing is the majority of these products are not healthy for us at all. We live in a world where just about everything is being altered for quicker results and greater quantity, which usually produces poorer quality. When this occurs in the products we consume through our mouths and skin, we really need to question: is it worth it? These are some of the reasons I have decided to make my own soaps, laundry detergent, household cleaning agents, and have even changed my diet. Our skin is our body’s largest organ and is permeable, everything we put on our skin will be absorbed into our body. Natural ingredients such as Calendula are safe and have been around forever.
For as long as medical books have been around, physicians have been writing about this wonderful plant and its amazing benefits for the skin. Calendula Officinalis also known as Pot Marigold or English Marigold, got the name because the dried flowers of the plant were traditionally used in soups and stews to fight off illness. The name Calendula comes from the Latin word Calendae, meaning the first day of the month, as this plant can bloom every month of the year in its native climate. Calendula is known for many health benefits but is most recognized for its effectiveness in healing skin problems, such as wounds, burns, insect bites, eczema, shingles and skin ulcers, to name a few.
Calendula is easy to grow; it is not too picky about soil conditions and can be grown from seed in just about any sunny location. Once the plant starts to bloom you will constantly find yourself cutting the flower heads as they open; hence the word “calendae”, it does have a very long bloom season, and does reseed easily. Once you have harvested the Calendula flower, you will need to spread the cut flowers out to dry. This works best out of sun light and moist areas. When the flower heads have dried you can store them in jars and use as needed.
Calendula can be taken internally as well as externally. For internal use, Calendula can be used in salads, and to spice up meats and fish; it also can be made in to a tea. Externally, Calendula is used in lotion salves, creams, soaps and refined oil. I use the Calendula that I grow in my garden in my Calendula Orange Bars, and I have refined some Calendula oil which I use in my lip balms and also keep it handy for medicinal purposes.
I do hope you have enjoyed this article and have found the information useful, and that it has inspired you to want to learn of more natural and practical alternatives for healthier living. As always I do hope you make that Pure-N-Simple choice.
