Ooh, whose wrinkly old hands are those? Ah, never mind that, but what I meant to show was the crazy calendula seeds. Aren’t they fantastic? They look like caterpillars, maybe a dried-up version of a cut worm. I’ve never grown Calendula at home but it seems to do well here and come back year after year, so I got a seed packet and I’ll give it a burl.
Give It A Burl 
Molly, you are starting an herb garden too! Calendula is one of the top topical antiseptic and antibiotic herbs for healing wounds, infections, etc. Good luck,
Calendula is one of the wonderful ingredients in an herbal salve I’ve been making for years. I’d be happy to send the recipe if you’d like. I’m just a little jealous that you are getting your hands in the dirt and I have to wait quite a while for that here…:(
Enjoy! Love to all – Joanne
Sure, I’d like to try the recipe–thanks! What is calendula good for? Milo has some calendula cream that Maria Dixson gave us which he likes to put on his hands while he’s getting his diaper changed–the whole delight for him is the rubbing and sniffing process.
I pack a gallon jar with 1/2 comfrey leaves and 1/2 calendula flowers (I’m having some difficulty finding comfrey lately but I had enough for the last batch) then add the contents of a handful of Vit E capsules (obviously this is a variable recipe 🙂 ) and finally fill the jar with olive oil. I’ve always used dried herbs but I imagine fresh would work well too.
Let that set for a couple weeks in a fairly warm area, then strain (I use cheesecloth or a floursack towel) squeezing every last drop you can get out. Measure the amount of liquid you have and add beeswax 4:1 or 1/4 the amount of beeswax as you have oil. Warm until beeswax is melted and put in containers. I’m fortunate that there’s a container wholesaler within 15 miles and they will sell in small lots very reasonably. I always tell family to return containers however. Don’t cap until ointment has cooled and there you are. Calendula is a healing herb as is comfrey. I love that no chemicals are involved and it seems to work on a myriad of things such as rashes, cuts, scrapes, chapped lips, cold sores, etc. Good luck!