Marigold - Marigolds Sea of Gold

The warmer months from spring through late summer and even into autumn in mild climates are the best times to plant Marigolds. The Golden Glory Marigold is botanically known as Tagetes (tay-gee'teez). Tages was an ancient Etruscan God. Some legends say that "marigold" was named in honour of the "golden Virgin Mary", but in actual fact it means "sea of gold" in Latin.

A well grown planting of marigold certainly would live up to that description. Marigolds start to shine their brightest as the golden days of summer start to wane into autumns' first light. The flowers actually have tiny luminary cells within the flower to reflect light, especially yellow and golden shades. This is probably a natural adaptation of the plant to promote pollination. Many varieties of marigold, especially those in the wild, often have quite small flowers that bloom rather late in the season. Luminary cells help the flowers to stand out, shining in the autumn light, thus be seen and pollinated by insects.