Tagetes patula / erecta

I used to find the tidy orange marigold borders in Swiss gardens incredibly stuffy. I also did not like the scent of marigolds, so I would have never have planted them. But I’ve tried them here as companion plants in the veggie garden and if nothing else they do make a splendid show of color in the fall. So it seemed mean not to dedicate an article to them although they’re not what you would call a “Mediterranean” plant.

I’ve tried sowing them this spring but nothing came of it until the beginning of September, when one small seedling popped up. Three weeks later it has grown into a nice little plant showing its first flowers…