Tuesday 24 March 2020

25 March: Marigolds

Today's Plant of the day is the Marigold, Calendula officinalis, dedicated to Mary. Here are ten things you might not know about marigolds.

  1. They're part of the Asteraceae family, which includes daisies, asters and Sunflowers.
  2. Its scientific name, calendula, comes from the Latin for “little calendar”, “little clock” or possibly “little weather-glass”. The common name, marigold, refers to the Virgin Mary (Mary’s gold).
  3. They have been used in religious rituals and ceremonies since time immemorial. The Greeks and Romans made crowns and garlands from them and in India and Nepal they are used to decorate statues of Hindu deities and as garlands for weddings and other ceremonies. In Mexico, they are the symbolic flower for the Day of the Dead celebrations.
  4. The Aztecs believed that carrying them with you when carrying out a dangerous task offered protection, and that they could help heal critical injuries.
  5. In the 12th century an author called Mercer maintained your eyesight would improve if you so much as looked at a marigold plant. Doing so would also draw "evil humours” from your head.
  6. Marigold has been used as a treatment for skin irritations and inflammation from varicose veins to sunburn.
  7. According to superstition if marigold flowers open in the morning, it will rain later in the day.
  8. Marigold is the birth flower for people born in October.
  9. The flowers are edible and can be used in cooking as a substitute for tarragon.
  10. Marigolds are known to repel many insects and gardeners sometimes plant them to keep insects at bay. Keeping them by doors and windows can help keep Mosquitoes away. One insect which loves them, however, is Butterflies.


My Books 

(for more details and buying options Click Here)


The Ultraheroes series

Several new groups of superheroes, mostly British, living and working (mostly) in British cities like London and Birmingham. People discovering they have, and learning to live with, superpowers. Each book is complete in itself although there is some overlap of characters.

















The Raiders series

A tale of two dimensions, and worm hole travel between the two. People displaced in both time and space, learning to get along and work together to find a way home while getting used to the superpowers wormhole travel gave them. A trilogy.












Golden Thread

A superhero tale with a difference. Five heroes from another dimension keep returning - whenever they return, they have a job to do and are a well-meshed team in order to do it. Until one time, something goes wrong...












Tabitha Drake series

A different kind of power - the ability to talk to dead people. Tabitha has it, and murder victims seek her out to make sure justice is done. Tabitha has this and a disastrous love life to cope with.














Short story collections


Some feature characters from the above novels, others don't. They're not all about superheroes. Some are creepy, romantic, funny. 














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