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Colourful spread
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The brightly coloured marigold can liven up the garden and the atmosphere
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GOLDEN BEAUTY A marigold shoot casts its spell
Marigold is a species of erect, bushy, strongly aromatic herbaceous perennials from the dry slopes of Mexico, USA and Africa. Flowers are used in arrangements, made into garlands and in decoration.
It is very hardy plant grown in gardens; with fern-like pinnate and pungent, deeply cut mid to dark green leaves. Daisy-like large single or double flowers in yellow, orange, lemon or crimson in colour and up to 10 cm are produced singly in cymes or in clusters— the flowers belong to family composite.
Afro-French Marigolds are bushy annuals with angular to rounded stems with branched and stained purple pinnate leaves that are 5-10 cm long, narrowly lance-shaped and toothed. Flowers are 2.5 cm across, yellow or orange, borne in cyme like inflorescence.
The African marigold is excellent for formal bedding and suitable for the edge or mixed borders. These flowers are compact annuals with angular, hairless stems and pinnate leaves 5-10 cm long, each with 12 to 15 cm long leaflets and large terminal flower heads usually 12 cm across each with 8 or more ray florets and numerous orange to yellow disc-florets (lemon yellow, golden yellow or orange).
Flowering time is summer and lasts till winter. Remove dead flowers regularly to prevent seeding and to maintain blooming season.
Seeds are sown in seed-pans. Seedlings are transplanted when they are 6 cm high. The plant adapts itself to most type of garden soil. The plant grows up to 30 to 60 cm in height.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
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