Marigold French Vanilla (Tagetes Erecta French Marigold)

My Marigold French Vanilla is blooming!

The flowers remind me, not of lacey can-can skirts, but of ice cream; French vanilla, of course.

My friend’s cousin shared her Thompson & Morgan marigold seeds with me and said that the petals were edible. That made it a double treat. I couldn’t wait to sow them.

I planted the seven seeds on seed-raising tablets and all seven germinated.

When they were big enough, I transplanted them to the ground. But I made a big mistake by not being careful enough.

The next morning I went to check on the plants and was stunned. The seedlings were all gone; except for one which I had tucked behind another plant.

No prizes for guessing who the culprits were. I rescued the survivor and planted it away from marauding snails. For good measure, I sprinkled snail pellets around it.

So the seedling ended up growing in the shadow of lilies and basils. After a few weeks, the marigold pushed its way through its taller neighbors.

A tiny bud formed, burgeoned, then split. Each flower is a frothy concoction with creamy petals that look good enough to eat. And indeed they are.

The petals may make a pretty salad but I can’t make myself pick them. For now, they will just remain a feast for my eyes.

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Care and propagation: full sun, well drained soil, water moderately. Propagate using seeds.

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