MARIGOLD – MOTHER MARY’S GOLD

When one hears the word “Marigold” it’s virtually impossible not to think of the gorgeous golden colour that many marigolds offer us. Offering their warm sunny colours for most of the year, outlasting many other annuals, it’s a little difficult to imagine that they are actually associated with grief, jealousy and cruelty in their native land, Mexico. Still used today in a Day of the Dead ceremonies, it is the Virgin Mary that inspired the name, meaning Mary’s Gold.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, luckily this gorgeous bloom has been adopted around the world and many other symbolisms have been bestowed on them. The ancient Welsh used them to predict weather, knowing that open marigolds would bring good weather. It was also believed that keeping a pot of marigolds in a household with a tempestuous relationship would create a peaceful environment. Marigolds were even worn by witches to stop people gossiping about them or negativity coming their way.

MARVELLOUS MARIGOLDS

Marvellous because they are the brightest and most cheerful of all the summer annuals. Erect little soldiers guarding your vegetables from ‘nasties’. An enticing nectar source for butterflies. Relentless in their ability to produce flowers throughout their lifespan. A garden is all the richer for these marvellous plants.

In South African garden centres you will more than likely find the two most common Marigolds: Tagetes patula aka French Marigold and Tagetes erecta aka African Marigold which are, despite their common names, native to Mexico and Central America. Both the French and African Marigolds have now been naturalised in other parts of the world.

 Both of these Marigolds are herbaceous annuals with a dense feathery foliage. Each plant produces many stems which rise above the leaves producing one carnation-like flower per stem.