gardening
Marvelous marigolds
Story by Pat Rubin
Cheerful flowers are hardy and easy to care for
I love marigolds, all of them—including the compact French marigolds with their button-like russet and orange flowers and the tall African ones with their big, sunshine-yellow blooms. I buy dozens of them and plant them in every nook, corner and vacant spot in the vegetable garden. In fact, they go in before most of the vegetables. They’re cheerful and colorful, they bloom for months as long as you regularly deadhead them and they attract plenty of bees and butterflies. Some grow a scant 6 inches tall, while others soar to 4 feet. In addition, they can take full sun (too much shade makes them leggy and less likely to bloom) and aren’t fussy about soil conditions. They’ll bloom until the weather turns frosty. If you let them go to seed, you’ll find marigolds coming up in unexpected places next season. Sounds pretty perfect. Marigolds are native to Mexico and Guatemala. In Mexico, they are called cempasúchitl, which is the original Nahuatl name and means “twenty- flower.” These beautiful flowers, specifically the African or Mexican marigold, play a major role in Día de los Muertos celebrations commemorating deceased loved ones. To plant marigolds from seed, rough up the top inch or so of the soil, sprinkle the seeds onto it and lightly cover them. Keep the soil moist. Seedlings will die quickly if deprived of regular water. Once established, they are somewhat drought tolerant. But if you want plenty of flowers, you’ll need to keep them watered. Garden centers carry a good selection of marigolds ready to plant. The main thing to remember: Deadhead them regularly if you want continuous blooms.
Pat Rubin cbmagazine@californiabountiful.com
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Summer 2024
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