We didn’t have a lot of room for annual flowers in the small garden bed of my childhood home.

It was a long bed of about 25 feet, but was only about 2 feet wide. Starting at the far end to about the middle were roses. They were tall and smelled heavenly. The other half is where my Pop would annually plant vegetables; usually tomatoes and peppers. In between those plants were marigolds.

Their sunny heads brought a brightness to the little garden patch. Turns out that Pop not only planted them because they brought that color from summer through fall, but gardening legend had it that they would deter pests from gnawing on his veggies before we could.

Marigolds are used as a natural pest deterrent for certain vegetable plants. They are planted, as well as tansy and nasturtium, to deter cucumber beetles. Planting marigolds near squash plants and asparagus aids in repelling squash bugs and asparagus beetles. Marigolds have also been proven to provide an effective deterrent for soil-dwelling nematodes for tomatoes! Pop was on top of it.

Marigolds are one of the most popular plants used by gardeners. They come in a wide array of sizes, types and growth habits. Their single or double blooms come in shades of yellow to gold, as well as orange and red, many with bicolor patterns.

Native to Mexico and Central America, they were revered by the Aztec people who used them for medicinal purposes. As referenced in the De La Crus-Badiano Aztec Herbal of 1552, they were used to treat hiccups or being struck by lightning. They also attributed the flower with magical influences. The Herbal stated that it should be used by one who “wishes to cross a river or water safely”.

Marigold seeds were taken to Europe by Spanish explorers and eventually they made it to France and North Africa. Hundreds of years later, the marigold was introduced to the American gardener when Burpee featured them in their catalog in 1915. Today there are more sizes, flower types, and growth habits than just about any other flower. However, they all fall into one of three cultivar types: African, French or triploid, a cross between the two.

African cultivars, Tagetes erecta, often called American marigolds, are larger plants than the French cultivars, Tagetes patula. Flowers sizes range from 1 inch in the French type to 5 inches in the African type.

Marigolds are easy, no-fuss plants that tolerate hot, sunny places well and can grow in poor to average soil, as long as it is well-drained. In areas like ours, where summers get very hot, they do well with some afternoon shade. Too much shade, however, will stunt flowering.

Marigolds can be started by seed or by transplanting container grown plants to flower beds. Seeds can be started indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost or sown directly into the flower bed after the threat of frost has passed. This is also the best time to plant container grown plants. During initial planting, enrich soil with organic matter and spread mulch around transplants to help retain water.

Marigolds are annuals in all areas except zones 9 through 11, so experimenting with different varieties can give your garden a new look every year. You will have a larger selection if starting from seed, but check local nurseries if you prefer to plant container plants.

These are a few cultivars that are sure to captivate:

• Elevate Orange Hybrid have large double flowers on lofty 38-40-inch stems;

• Snowman Hybrid is a vigorous producer of double, ruffled 3-inch blooms as white as snow;

• Queen Sophia was a 1979 All-American Selections winner and still a gardener favorite. It has large showy russet red petals with gold edges;

• Danity Marietta is a striking dwarf variety with bright yellow single blooms with a bold red center

• Court Jester displays striped petals reminiscent of jester’s clothing;

• Strawberry Blonde is a French variety that breaks away from the normal colors of marigolds. This sturdy mounding plant blooms in cool hues of pastel pink, rose, and yellow blooms. In warmer temperatures, blooms are yellow-pinks, but in cooler temps the shades turn to pink-plum.

Whether planted in between vegetables, in containers or en masse, the bright, sunny blooms of the marigold are a gardener’s favorite.

Until next week, happy gardening.

— Irland, a member of the Limestone County Master Gardeners, can be reached at kippirland@hotmail.com. For more information on the Limestone County Master Gardeners, visit http://mg.aces.edu/limestone.