Tagetes x patula Sunburst F1 mixed

This flamboyant mixture of Sunburst F1 French Marigold, also brings together four varieties of Tagetes patula whose variegated flowers are almost as large as Indian roses. They display, depending on the plants, solid or two-tone flowers, golden yellow, or yellow striped with copper, or even orange/copper with single or semi-double corollas. These bushy and compact annuals bloom from June to October in sunny borders and planters. They are easy to sow and succeed in all gardens, from the simplest to the most elaborate.  To be grown in well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade.

Tagetes patula is an herbaceous annual plant of the Asteraceae family, native to tropical regions of the Americas, from Mexico to Bolivia. Each of the plants in the Sunburst F1 mix quickly forms a small, branching clump which is 35 cm (14in) in all directions, covered with dark green, highly cut foliage, strongly aromatic, whose smell may be unpleasant. The flowering extends from June to October, if faded flowers are regularly removed. The 'Sunburst F1' selection offers magnificent single or semi-double heads, whose ligules (the flowers located at the periphery of the head, highly developed) host gold, orange, and copper in all their forms: some are solid, golden yellow, others widely or finely striped with copper on a yellow or orange background, and the latter are a pure orange. The centre of the heads displays a more or less orange-yellow colour, bicoloured in some. These plants easily self-seed in the garden, but not always faithfully to the parent variety.

Marigolds are star plants in summer flower beds. They are sometimes criticised for their garish colours and their prim habit, but they are so cheerful, easy to grow, and floriferous that it would be a shame not to enjoy them in borders and planters. They can be planted in small patches amidst the grey foliage of artemisias and stachys, or in greenery, by combining them with tansies, Kochia Childsii, or small grasses that will temper their flamboyant colours. Marigold is also an edible flower that can be enjoyed in salads, soups, or desserts. Some believe that its flavor resembles that of passion fruits.

The scent of marigold foliage, and the substances secreted by their roots, repel certain insects harmful to crops, which is why these plants are often planted among the vegetables in the vegetable garden.