French Marigold Strawberry Blonde - Tagetes patula

The first pink-flowering marigold! 'Strawberry Blonde' is a breakthrough variety that produces unique, multicoloured double blooms, aging from warm yellow to dusky pink, copper then burgundy. Colours change slowly in spring, then faster as the days grow warmer. Stunning planted en masse in borders or in containers on the summer patio or balcony. Grow in well-drained soil, in full sun to part shade.

'Strawberry Blonde' is a hybrid variety selected from Tagetes patula (French Marigold) and Tagetes erecta (African marigold). It is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is not very cold hardy, generally treated as an annual in colder climates. 'Strawberry Blonde' combines qualities from both its parent species. It quickly forms a small, erect, well-branched clump, measuring about 25 cm tall for a spread of 30 cm. The dark green, deeply divided leaves have an intense aroma that is sometimes deemed unpleasant. This low-maintenance variety flowers continuously from May-June to September-October. It features pompom-like double flowerheads that measure about 5 cm in diameter. They are composed of numerous wavy ray flowers in a variety of pastel colours including pink, which is quite unusual for marigolds.

Marigolds are star plants in summer flower beds. Brightly coloured and cheerful with a tidy habit, easy to grow and floriferous, they are ideal for borders and window boxes. They can be planted in small patches alongside grey-leaved mugwort and stachys, green-leaved tansies or Kochia Childsii, or small ornamental grasses which will soften their flamboyant colours. Their orange, yellow or red blooms mix well with blue-flowering catmints or perennial flax. 'Strawberry Blonde' subtle-coloured blooms look gorgeous planted in drifts, in sunny borders or summer bedding schemes.

Good to know: Marigold flowers are edible and can be enjoyed in salads, soups and desserts. Some people describe their flavour as reminiscent of passion fruit. The intensely aromatic leaves and the substances secreted by their roots repel various harmful insects, making marigolds an excellent companion plant in the vegetable garden.