Marygold. C13

The marigold family includes about 20 species of shrubby annuals and some perennials found from the Canary Islands through the Mediterranean area to Iran. The Crusaders found them in the wild in the Holy Land and brought them to Europe. Legend has it that St. Hildegard of Bingen named the plant "Mary's gold" after the Virgin Mary. 

There are several types, 'Pacific Beauty', 'Porcupine', 'Touch of Red' and 'Triangle Flashback'. 

Marigold is easy to grow from seed sown directly in the garden. Plant seeds in early spring or start them indoors and set out sturdy seedlings. They can be started indoors 6 weeks before the last frost date for earlier flowering.

Choose a sunny spot. The more sun, the better. The soil should be moderately rich and drain well. Marigolds tolerate poor conditions, but perform best when they have nutritious soil. Once established, marigolds do not need any additional fertiliser or feeding.

Marigolds grow very well in the vegetable garden. Good companions are: cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, carrots, asparagus and spring vegetables. The flowers bloom best in cooler weather and low humidity. Cut them back and they will reward you with new growth and more flowers when the weather cools down. These plants are quite hardy and can withstand some frost. They will continue to flower until a hard frost kills them.

Let some plants produce mature seeds to scatter where you want to see marigold seedlings in the following seasons.