| June
2004
Well,
regular marigolds in my yard are a complete bust. They are
supposed to be an insect repellant, but as usually, I get
the weirdo bugs that just aren't that picky. The aphids get
them every time, and I've just about given up. (Of course,
better the marigolds than my tomatoes was my motto). The Tangerine-Scented
Marigolds however have been a bona fide smash hit. In bloom
about 7 months out of the year, all you have to do is lightly
brush by this baby, and the whole yard smells like--you guessed
it--tangerines! And you can even eat the leaves--a spicy &
fragrant addition to salads! Growth is so prolific that even
though I cut fresh branches to bring inside the house every
week, there seems to be a never-ending supply! Not bad for
a $5.00 teeny tiny plant that I bought at a UC Riverside
Botanical Garden plant sale.
2002
Always wanted some of thse plants ever since that song about the
inchworm wormed it's way into my consciousness when I was the
tender age of oh...say, four. Years later, found out icky bugs
don't like 'em--and they just grew even more in stature in my
book. I planted these near my basil and tomato plants because
it is a known companion plant that these plants like nearby because
it helps repel harmful insect. Well, they work. But some marigolds
worked a little too well and became infested with aphids, and
same as with the nasturtium, I didn't catch it in time to save
them with the Pyola.
I have just recently replaced the dead plants with some smaller
plants I had grown from seed in another garden bed. We'll see
how they do. They have just started to flower, but the light cycle
is changing, so the jury is still out as to how they'll do in
the location they are in and for how long they will survive. It
seemed like it took them a really long time to get to here from
seed. It's OK. I think the ones I grew myself are the French Marigolds,
and I think those patterns are more interesting anyway...
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