Marigolds - Never Again

Several months ago my housekeeper brought me some flower seeds. She said there were two different kinds of pretty flowers, and that they would only bloom once, so it would be important to harvest their seeds. I picked some random areas in the patio and planted some. They sprouted quickly, and grew like weeds. In fact, they were very weedlike and downright unsightly. Before we knew it a few of them were nearly six feet tall. Finally after what seemed an eternity, they sprouted flowers and lots of buds appeared.

They were colorful marigolds and the butterflies liked them. Were they worth waiting five months or more for them?

The general concensus was that this would be their only appearance in the garden. I tried to let them go to seed but Mother Nature interfered (or simply solved the problem).

They were so tall they got top heavy. And with a bit of wind and an afternoon rainstorm, gravity got the best of them and they went down. All the way to the ground.


You can see them leaning here. I didn't get outside quickly enough to get a shot of them on the ground. Pablo had always seen them as an intrusion to our lovely garden. He was the happiest of all to see them go... he cut them down as soon as they bit the dust.

And the other seeds, you might wonder? They are still growing giant leaves. They look more like comfrey than a flower. Maria called them barra de San Jose, which means nothing to me. I am interested to see what they are, and really, how much longer can it take before they decide to flower? This is the largest one, and the one most improperly planted, because it has stunted the growth of the noche buena (poinsettia) behind it. The noche buena will probably make it, but it is dwarfed next to its two relatives , barely visible behind the non-flowering plant.