++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I buy small marigolds at the nursery where I get my tomato plants. I like to plant them in the tomato beds - in the past, they haven't gotten very big, but bloomed nicely. I keep them deadheaded which keeps them blooming.
This year was different. I had some old seeds, some were a little moldy, but I planted them anyway. Three came up out of all the seeds. A couple of weeks ago, I found some marigold seeds at the store & planted a few more. One variety was a "giant" marigold.
So here's the result - the 3 that came up from the old seed are the best, bushiest, prettiest marigolds I've ever had. I did water them when they were young & we've had plenty of rain. The "giants" I planted had to be staked up when they were about a foot tall. They are now at least 3 feet tall & starting to bloom with large yellow blossoms.
I like marigolds in the garden - they tend to be "sturdy" plants & do well once established. They definitely add some color. Supposedly, they help keep pests away:
"Scientists have discovered that using marigolds around plants such as roses, strawberries, potatoes and tomatoes, deters root knot nematodes, tiny worms that live in the soil. Although it hasn’t been proven, many long-time gardeners claim that marigolds also control pests like tomato hornworms, cabbageworms, thrips, squash bugs, white flies and others. Do marigolds keep bugs away? The best way to find out is to experiment in your own garden, and you really can’t go wrong. Marigolds are beautiful, and there’s no doubt that they attract a variety of beneficial insects that prey on bad bugs, which is a very positive attribute indeed!"
I have marigolds in 3 of my 4 raised beds. This is an 8' bed & the 3 marigolds from homegrown seed are almost across the whole bed! The 3 plants behind are the "giants" from commercial seed.
One of my favorite marigold varieties (don't know the name, unfortunately). The centers are a puffy gold with beautiful maroon petals around the gold.
The "giants" that just started blooming. I have some leftover seed so will plant next year, but probably won't do it again when I run out of seed. They have to be staked up & the flowers are nice, but there are other varieties that I like better.
PS - if you 'right click' on a photo & then select "view image", you can see a much larger version of the photo.