I love growing flowers in my community plot. Last year (2024) was the first year I grew calendulas. I decided to grow more this year (which could not have been easier as they self-seed like crazy) to make a calendula salve. Calendula has long been used as a medicinal plant to soothe irritated skin and eczema as it has anti-inflammatory properties and is an excellent moisturizer. To make the salve, you need to make calendula oil. The first step is drying the flowers.

I had been harvesting and drying calendula flowers all summer and fall. I only harvested unblemished flower heads that had just begun flowering. I tried to always harvest early in the morning on a dry day. The flowers were then placed “face down” on a paper towel-lined paper plate and left to dry for two to three weeks in a darkened room, away from direct sunlight, until they were crumbly. I dried and stored them in a dark corner in my bedroom, the coolest room in the house.

I harvested two plates worth once or twice a week and collected the flowers in a large mason jar once they were fully dried.