Marigolds

   Marigolds...what can I say...they are non-fussy, hardy, bountiful, and so very easy to grow! They are what I would consider a great flower to try anywhere, weather it be in the ground or in a container.  I have read that these little beauties help to attract all the good insects and help repel a lot of the nasty little critters that tend to be bothersome to the in-ground garden.  Although nothing can really compare to a barbed wire fence for squirrels and rabbits, marigolds can add an attractive border to any garden at the same time keeping pesky above and under-ground critters at bay.

   This year, my goal was to start as many things from seeds as I possibly could (due to the $200 tiller and $100  soil ammendments that were needed to start an inground garden this year.)  Anywho, for less than a dollar I was able to purchase quite  a few packets of marigold seeds in a few different varieties. 

  Above is a pick that was started from seeds around the middle of April.  I decided to do a few different kinds of containers as well as in-ground garden borders.  This is a wooden box filled with peat moss, potting soil, and top soil.  They are pretty close together and need to be watered about every 2 days unless it rains alot.  Fortunately, I have discovered that if they need water, I tend to water them at night (around 7pm).  This seems to make them very happy for the next few days regardless of the weather!  Because they are so close in proximity and tend to need water every couple of days, I have discovered that they don't need any more than 3-5 hours of direct sunlight so it's a perfect idea to boost a mildly sunny location!  I would say to test the soil for moister but marigolds have a pretty crappy poker face...if they are thirsty, they will let you know!  It won't take a botanist to figure it out that they are thirsty and need a little drink!