For years I have been told that marigolds in the garden are beneficial. I always thought as a child growing up that they had a certain odour that I didn’t really care for. Ha ha! But now that I am a gardener I have really been able to embrace marigolds and have grown to have an appreciation for them.
The last few years I have chosen to add marigolds to the vegetable garden and you know what, I really think it has reduced the amount of pests in the garden. The added bonus is that it gives a lovely pop of colour to the garden when everything is so green.
This year I added several varieties to my gardens as well as adding them to my containers for a pop of colour. I used some of the double headed marigolds and they almost look like carnations (they are so big!)
I also decided to try to grow some marigolds from seed this spring. The results have been fantastic! I started by planting the seeds from West Coast Seeds indoors. I went with a variety called Strawberry Blonde.
Sometimes I don’t always have the best of luck with seeds. However, they made it past the seedling stage. They are now thriving in my backyard. I even had enough seedlings to share with my Mom for her patio. The colour tones of these ones are so pretty in shades of yellow, coral and rose and are so delicate.
So the next time you are hesitant to try something new, just do it and see what happens. Maybe you will be happily surprised like me. Happy Gardening!
