Marigolds
I had no idea there are so many uses of Marigolds. They can act as a natural insect repellant, and you can eat the marigold blossoms!
According to an article in the Real Simple magazine, you can plant them in your garden beds to repel mosquitoes. The scent of marigolds are not very pleasant but it's a natural way to deter mosquitoes. They bloom from spring to frost and very hardy.
Marigold blossoms are edible. In Martha Stewart's blog, she lists all the edible flowers in her garden and marigolds are one of them.
I also read somewhere that marigolds can be used to treat gastric ulcer and infections of mouth and throat. Marigold tea or the blossoms can also cure mentstrual cramps, liver disease and constipation!
I planted too much marigold this year and I was thinking about getting rid of some because they grow like crazy and it's taking over a lot of space. Now I know what they can do and I am happy to keep them until the end of season!
August 1st, 2008 - 16:31
Another thing I recently learned about Marigolds is that the roots put something in the soil that kills the nematodes that attack tomatoes and peppers. So beds where Marigolds are planted this season will be great places to plant vegetables next season.
August 2nd, 2008 - 09:07
We LOVE using marigolds in the garden for natural insect repellant. However, we didn’t know about the roots that kill harmful nematodes… good to know. And thanks for the reminder about them being edible… now what to make with them… hhhmmmm…
August 2nd, 2008 - 10:43
If you leave the deadheads alone to dry out, they could re-seed themselves. I’ve had a few marigolds “volunteer” from the year before.