Marigolds, like suns,
They bloom so wildly
And above them there is rain
They float in the clouds.Here is an orange flower,
Red, gold!
Marigolds are amazing
With its beauty!
Marigolds are one of my favorite flowers. They're easy to grow, don't require much attention, and grow quickly and well without becoming leggy.
The flower begins blooming early and continues to bloom profusely until the first serious frost. These simple flowers are unfazed by adverse weather conditions, such as summer heat and prolonged rains. The bushes are disease-free and pest-resistant.
I grow marigolds from my own seeds, but I also buy one or two new varieties each season. There's such a huge variety of seeds in stores that I'm drawn to the beautiful packets. I grow the seedlings in a greenhouse, sowing them in trays in mid-April, and planting them outdoors in late May. Shortly before sowing the seeds, I test them for germination.
I had a moment of free time the other day, so I decided to take stock of my flower seeds. After all, the gardening season is just around the corner, there's a ton of work to do, and I really don't want to be surprised by seeds that don't germinate.
I checked the seeds of my favorite marigolds. And while I was at it, I soaked the seeds of asters, sweet peas, keeled chrysanthemums, and some other seeds I collected in the fall. I placed each variety on a cotton ball, moistened it with water, and placed it in a bright, warm place.
Some marigold seeds began to sprout on the second day, and by the third day all had sprouted except for the thin-leaved orange ones called Jem.
The seeds I collected from this variety immediately raised my doubts. They were light-colored, while all the other seeds looked normal—thin black rods with a light tip.
I assumed it was a characteristic of the variety—the light-colored seeds—but it turned out I'd picked a dry head, which for some reason hadn't produced any ripe seeds. I have other dried heads of this marigold variety, and they contain perfectly formed black seeds. That's why it's important to check the germination of seeds before sowing.
I threw away all the sprouted seeds, but I sowed a few low-growing marigolds in a pot and they sprouted in two days.
It's mid-February now, and I'll be sowing all my annuals in the greenhouse in April. Some flowers will be sown directly into the soil in early to mid-May. And indoors, I'm growing petunia seedlings from the flowers.
What marigolds will I sow this 2021?
Little hero
This is my favorite variety; I've been growing it for years. It's a low-growing marigold, about 20 cm tall, with neat, clump-like growth. It blooms early and continues to bloom profusely, until the first frost. The flowers are medium-sized, double, and vibrant, with a variety of colors—bright and dark orange, yellow, and variegated.
I'll also sow some Gypsy Sunshine marigolds and lemon marigolds, but I don't know the variety name. I've been growing these flowers for a while now.
Alaska Marigolds
I grew these marigolds last year (2020).
On the package these flowers looked different, the flowers were supposed to be creamy yellow, but mine bloomed pure yellow, mostly light yellow, one bush was yellow-green, and one was bright yellow.
These are tall marigolds, more than 50 cm in height, with large spherical inflorescences.
The bush bears many bright, beautiful, large flowers. Blooming is abundant, continuing until late autumn. I tied the bushes to stakes because the fleshy stems were prone to breaking and falling apart in the rain and wind.
In the fall, I collected seeds, and now Alaska marigolds will grow at my dacha all the time.
Two-colored marigolds, Tu-Ton variety
I grew Tu-Ton marigolds for the first time last year. I loved this variety with its elegant double flowers, up to 7 cm in diameter, and bright yellow petals with a reddish stripe in the center. The bushes grow to about 30 cm tall. The Tu-Ton marigolds bloomed all summer.
Thin-leaved marigolds
Thin-leaved marigolds are low-growing, with spherical bushes up to 30-40 cm in height. The bushes have many branched shoots with thin, lacy, dissected leaves.
The flowers are small, 3-4 cm across, simple in shape, with five petals and a bright center. The petals and center come in various shades of yellow, orange, and red.
These marigolds bloom profusely, brightly, and for a long time.
Orange Marigolds Fantastica
This is the first time I'll be growing these marigolds.
These tall marigolds grow on sturdy bushes up to 70 cm tall. The flowers are large, up to 10 cm in diameter, chrysanthemum-shaped, and bright orange. This is an early, profusely blooming variety. The flowers retain their decorative appeal for up to two weeks, blooming until frost.
Marigolds are ubiquitous in our city, decorating courtyards and balconies, flowerbeds in parks and squares, schools, and gardens. They grow in large pots near shopping pavilions and stores, and, of course, they adorn garden plots. These easy-to-grow, bright, and simple flowers bloom profusely all summer long.