In Praise Of: Marigolds

Marigolds are funny. Some regard them as a ho-hum generic flower, while others consider them a critical part of high religious ceremonies. Some talk reverently about their ability to keep aphids away from tomato plants, while others say they are “too easy” and “cheapen” a garden. Some inhale deep from the center of the blossom, coming away with orange or yellow noses, while others are repelled by the strong, musky scent. Marigolds’ push-pull nature fascinates me, and I hear the call of marigolds as a call to balance.

Personally, I love to smell a pot of marigolds. Happiness bubbles up inside me when I see marigolds’ yellow or orange flower heads from across a street. And, as a gardener, I deeply appreciate how easy they are to grow and maintain in a garden. Yet, I find an overpopulation of  marigolds to be disconcerting. Their lovely scent can overpower when too many are bunched together. Rows and rows of marigold “soldiers” can turn those happy, beckoning flower heads into a redundant mass of joyless poofs. Even the ease with which they grow can become tiresome, leaving a gardener yearning for a bit more friction and challenge.

Balance. Diversity. Focus. Marigolds remind me to plant them sparingly — leaving room for other species and varietals, for other colors and textures, for other scents and heights. When I do so, I appreciate each marigold flower individually and with more concentration than I could if I had a garden loaded with them. After all, the abundance inherent in each blossom deserves as much of our time and energy as it receives from its butterfly, moth and bee visitors — who land and stay, considering only one flower at a time. I am thankful for this call to balance, to diversity, and to focus.