The National Garden Bureau (NGB) has announced that 2010 is the Year of the Marigold. Yay for the marigold. Marigolds are one of the most popular plants grown and sold, but they are also one of the least respected. They rank right down there with petunias and red geraniums, in the hierarchy of garden snobs. Isn't that always the way? The plants that deliver season after season are the ones we take for granted.
So kudos to the NGB for singling out marigolds. This isn't the first time marigolds have been honored. According to the NGB, "... the Aztec people ... attributed magical, religious and medicinal properties to marigolds."
Marigolds are native to the western Americas, from Argentina to Arizona. Seeds traveled to Spain and from there to Northern Africa, where they became naturalized, giving us the popular Tagetes erecta, the tall African marigold.
Their Latin name, Tagetes, goes back to the Italian god, Tages. "A grandson of Jupiter, Tages came forth from a clod of earth as a wise and handsome boy." So let's all show marigolds the respect they deserve. Use them along borders, in containers and even hanging baskets. I still love marigolds in my vegetable garden, where they seem to deter the rabbits.
You won't have to look far to find marigold plants. Every garden center sells a couple of varieties as seedlings. But for the best selection, grown your own. The large seeds are quick and easy to grow. And if you want to make them a little more impressive, call them by their proper name, Tagetes, (tah-JEE-deez). It's one of those names we've all seen written, but only 1 in 100 knows how to pronounce.
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