Color Challenge Tuesday Orange - "MARIGOLD" ~ © Tiffany E. Reed

One of the flowers that I find most delightful is the marigold, especially the orange and yellow varieties. They are small and simple flowers, but so cheerful in their appearance! This is a member of the Tagetes species, most probably Tagetes patula by my reckoning.

photograph by me

Long ago before the Internet was made available for public use (and yes, I am that old), I had read in herbal literature that marigolds had a natural propensity for repelling some common insects in the garden. At the time, I had an herb garden behind my house where I grew chives, thyme, basil, various mints, savory, rue, and many others. Armed with the knowledge of the marigold's pest-deterrent properties, I planted marigolds around the herb garden, and it did, indeed, help to keep the bugs away!

Regarding this, Wikipedia says:

Depending on the species, marigold foliage has a musky, pungent scent, though some varieties have been bred to be scentless. It is said to deter some common insect pests, as well as nematodes. Tagetes species are hence often used in companion planting for tomato, eggplant, chili pepper, tobacco, and potato. Due to antibacterial thiophenes exuded by the roots, Tagetes should not be planted near any legume crop.

This should be a very useful tip to anyone who wishes to garden without pesticides. Just be aware of the warning against planting marigolds near legumes. Even with no vegetable garden, this is a charming little plant to have around one's home! 😊