French Marigolds

[macmex]

I have very fond memories of when when Jerreth and I were first married and gardened in Northern Indiana. One of the plants which gave us so much pleasure was the French Marigold. I've struggled to get them to flourish here, with our extremely hot conditions, yet at work, I was tasked with putting in bedding plants each spring. One time, I couldn't resist putting in some French Marigolds. There's one particular planter, which receives afternoon shade and, in which my marigolds have prospered very much. In fact, this is the second season that they have volunteered (profusely) in that bed. I've pulled seedlings and planted them all over, but the only place where they've truly done well has been in another location, under a tree. 

I'm going to start planting them in some shade!

Also, the bedding plants I originally purchased were hybrid. I wish I had saved a photo of them. They were an entirely different color tone than the F2 and F3 generation plants. I like the dehybridized ones better!




There's still quite a bit of variation in the flowers but they're all very beautiful!

[hmoosek]

You’ll laugh, but I’ve got a funny story. Mom and I did the exact same thing by pure accident. A friend of mine sent me some marigold seeds that she’s been growing and saving seeds for several years. I normally plant marigolds in with my tomatoes, but that year, I put them in Mom’s flower bed. Of course I didn’t consult her like I normally would. A few days later, I was walking around the yard and noticed she was planting something in her flowerbed. I asked her what she was planting. It turned out, she was planting Okra. Well, long story short, we both got a good laugh later that year when both prospered. The okra gave some shade and the flowers were beautiful.