Marigolds are more than just cheerful, golden-orange blooms that brighten up garden beds and borders. These hardy flowers are beloved for their vibrant color, ease of care, and incredible benefits for your garden and beyond. From attracting pollinators to naturally repelling pests, marigolds are a gardener’s secret weapon for creating a thriving, beautiful outdoor space. Discover why these classic flowers deserve a spot in every garden and how you can grow them with success.
The Benefits of Marigold Flowers
- Natural Pest Repellent Marigolds are known for their ability to repel unwanted pests like aphids, nematodes, and even mosquitoes. Their distinct scent helps keep harmful insects away, making them a perfect companion plant in vegetable gardens.
- Attracts Pollinators While keeping pests at bay, marigolds also invite beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies, and ladybugs, supporting pollination and overall garden health.
- Low Maintenance and Hardy Marigolds are incredibly easy to grow and thrive in poor soils, heat, and full sun. They require minimal care, making them ideal for both beginner and seasoned gardeners.
- Long Blooming Season These vibrant flowers offer continuous color from spring to frost, bringing life and brightness to your garden for months.
- Medicinal and Culinary Uses Marigolds have been traditionally used in herbal remedies for skin conditions and inflammation. Their petals are also edible and can add color and subtle flavor to salads and teas.
- Improves Soil Health Certain marigold varieties release compounds into the soil that suppress harmful nematodes and improve soil quality for future plantings.
With their vibrant beauty and practical benefits, marigolds are more than just ornamental—they’re a true multitasker in any garden.
A few years ago I got to meet a lovely man from India who would attend my yoga classes. He always left me a marigold on my blanket or mat as he left. I often wondered why. This year when I was planting flowers, I decided to do some digging on the symbolism of them.
Marigolds are known as the “herbs of the Sun”.
They symbolize creativity, passion, brightness, positivity and happiness.
In some traditions, marigold seeds are planted in pots as a symbol of auspiciousness and patience to wait for the divine.
In the folklore, the marigold is considered a flower with magical powers. It prevents evil from entering the home, and carrying a marigold flower brings good luck, a joyful day, and protects from evils.
Modern meanings value the color and sunny beauty, which gives the flower a sense of optimism and a desire for success. Therefore, you can use it to express the will to succeed, the beauty and warmth of the rising sun, or to share your joy and your good understanding of the relationship.
Their use in celebrations is believed to be tied to a romantic Aztec origin myth about two lovers. According to the legend, the lovers would often hike to the top of a mountain to leave flower offerings for the sun-god, and to swear their love and commitment to one another.
For centuries, Día de Muertos celebrations in Mexico have been characterized by the vibrant yellow and orange hues of the marigold flower. Marigolds are also referred to as “flowers of the dead”, it’s believed that the scent of these bright orange blooms help attract souls to the altar.
Pretty awesome, eh?
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