Marigolds in the design of the garden

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Marigolds are literally legendary annuals. They are included in the list of the best garden plants for unpretentiousness, and beauty, and timing of flowering. Their special aroma and no less attractive appearance are well known even to urban residents. Carved, creating elegant delicate bushes, leaves with a dark saturated color stand out clearly against the background of any other plant. And dazzling fiery inflorescences, literally shining against a dark emerald background, for many have become a symbol of the transition from summer to autumn. In addition to decorativeness, the main and undoubted advantage of marigolds is the simplicity of their cultivation.

Content:

Description of Garden Marigolds
Species diversity of marigolds in culture
The use of marigolds in garden design
Selection of partners for marigolds

Description of Garden Marigolds

Marigold autumn flowers, in fact, enter the garden scene in the summer. But the color scheme of these plants and their character, cause associations primarily with the autumn garden. Marigolds are amazing universal flyers, well-known, but never tired of surprising their talents. They combine high decorativeness with amazing endurance and are the undisputed favorite of design designed for the second half of the season.

Marigolds got their name in honor of the mythical Tages - the grandson of Jupiter and the prophet, whose beauty was glorified in Greek legends.

Marigolds have long been perceived as typically “our” summers, they are so familiar with urban gardening that they are hardly associated with their historical homeland. Meanwhile, this plant, which has spread across the globe, is an American endemic and one of the most vibrant cultures that came to us from Central America.

Representatives of the genus Tagetes are traditionally associated with summers. But among these plants grassy perennials are also found.

Marigolds are bushy, fast-growing plants. They develop in the form of compact or more spreading, but not too expanding in breadth, straight, but very lush bushes, forming a crown that looks like a small pillow. Shoots are very durable.

The height of marigolds ranges from 15 cm in low-growing varieties to 50 cm in most varieties and 80-120 cm in the highest varieties of upright marigolds. Cirrus-dissected or cirrus-leaf foliage of marigolds with a serrated edge, a sharp, easily recognizable odor and rich shades of dark green color creates a very elegant leafy mass. For different marigolds, leaves can be arranged both alternately and opposite.

The long, relentless and abundant flowering of marigolds cannot be compared with blooming clouds or carpets of other pilots. The inflorescences do not completely euthanize the bushes, they surprisingly harmonize with the leaves, reveal the beauty of the plant in full.

Marigolds produce elegant baskets of inflorescences. They can be either single apical, or collect in more complex inflorescences with a fairly loose texture. Reed flowers flaunt a wide, spaced corolla, and tubular ones in the middle are more plain. Among marigolds there are both plants with simple inflorescences, and varieties of varying degrees of terry. After flowering, fruit seeds are tied, giving abundant self-seeding.

The start of flowering of marigolds directly depends on the selected variety and cultivation agricultural technique. The first marigolds bloom inflorescences in June, but most - only since July. But all marigolds complete their flowering only after the first frosts come.

The color palette of marigolds is limited to yellow, orange, red and brown - in all possible shades of the gamut of warm autumn. In addition to solid colors, there are varieties of marigolds with two-tone watercolor or contrasting colors.

Species diversity of marigolds in culture

Marigolds have become such a familiar plant for many that they are perceived as the same plant with different varieties that differ only in height or color nuances. But it is worth taking a closer look at the assortment of marigolds to discover their amazing variety. Among marigolds there are plants that are not alike, modest or brighter stars. They even differ from each other in the structure and type of leaves, not only in the type, shape and size of the inflorescences.

In culture, only two species are used from more than three dozen naturally occurring species of the genus Marigolds:

Tagetes erect (Tagetes erecta) - highly branching, with a pronounced central shoot, forming pyramidal bushes, powerful plants with cirrus leaves and large inflorescences. Previously, marigolds rejected were distinguished as a separate species. (Tagetes patula)but today they are united with the marigolds erect.
Marigold thin-leaved (Tagetes tenuifolia) - compact, shorter plants with small leaves and small inflorescences. Anise marigolds (Tagetes anisata), previously considered as an independent species, were included in this species.

Most of the marigolds that can be found on sale are hybrid plants with improved characteristics.

The use of marigolds in garden design

Being one of the most traditional cultivated annual plants, marigolds almost never went out of style. They are actively used in landscaping despite the ever-expanding range of ornamental plants. This is both a garden classic and one of the most modern plants with many advantages.

Marigolds can be used in any design style. They fit perfectly into nostalgic gardens, but thanks to the beauty of the leaves and the brightness of the flowering, they are not lost in modern designs, they are great for historical imitations. They are universal from the stylistic point of view, suitable for ceremonial design, and in design with minimal care.

Marigolds rightfully claim to be one of the most versatile pilots. They can be used to decorate any flower beds and rabatok regardless of their size and content. They are equally good on flowerbeds for flyers and in large flower beds or complex mixborders, spots on the lawn and huge classic flowerbeds, they can even be used in carpet and patterned mixborders.

The selection of varieties allows you to use marigolds on any plane and in any - background or solo - quality. Marigolds in the design of flower beds use:

as a color spot;
for introducing contrasts;
to create the effect of lace filling;
to mask the flaws of other plants that bloom in the first half of the season;
for framing large perennial soloists or flowering shrubs;
to fill the voids in the flower beds;
for the introduction of seasonal accents, etc.

Due to its compactness and dense curly dense greens, marigolds are perfectly suited for the role of a border culture. They neatly and elegantly frame any garden objects. Most often, marigolds are used for borders around flower beds and flower beds for pilots. But no worse they will cope with the task of creating a colorful line along the track or platform, as well as in the foreground of the mixborder.

Marigolds are the best candidates for the introduction of ornamental plants on the beds. They are not only great for decorating mix beds, a decorative garden, growing in tea and spicy flower beds. Marigolds play the role of additional protection for vegetables and salads. Their roots secrete natural volatile, protecting plants from fungal infections and nematodes. Marigolds are especially effective against insect pests and fusarium.

They can be used for decorating, and for decorating borders, and for mixing plants in a normal garden. Bright and sunny, marigolds charmingly look against the background of salads and southern vegetables. With the help of marigolds, you can fill the empty soil, protect the roots from overheating, “knock out” berry bushes.

Marigolds grow well in containers. Despite the fact that most often they are planted in flower beds and open soil, they demonstrate excellent endurance and only adorn a variety of compositions of large and small sizes.

They will not be lost separately, in a small pot, as a bright decoration of a pot garden. Marigolds are used for stone flower girls and mobile flower beds, grown in tubs with other plants, used as accents or placeholders for other flyers, planted in window and balcony drawers.

The highest varieties of erect marigolds are grown, including for cutting. In the preparation of bouquets, marigolds play approximately the same role as in flower beds. These bright and fragrant autumn flowers have long been pleasing with their freshness.

Selection of partners for marigolds

Among annuals, not a single plant can be compared with marigolds in terms of talent combined with any garden crops. They are not afraid of the proximity of large plants and are often used to highlight the beauty of shrubs, perfectly take root in the company of herbaceous perennials and are combined with all the summers, without exception. The only limitation in the selection of partners is the color scheme of marigolds and their pronounced autumn character.

In decorative compositions, mixborders and flower beds, marigolds look great in the company of fragrant tobacco, coleus, seaside cineraria, lobularia, alissum, asters, zinnia, annual sages and ageratum.

Choosing companion plants for marigolds in a garden or mix design, first of all, you need to remember about plants that feel just as good on decorative beds. Calendula, echinacea, heliotrope, perhaps the best and most grateful partners in this case.