The Marigold in California

A poster for the now-defunct American Marigold Society, showing the diversity of flower types, with African marigolds (top), French marigolds (middle), and single-flowered Signet marigolds (bottom center). Artist unknown; reproduced by permission Elizabeth Christensen
. . . a valuable annual should not be neglected because it is so common and easy to grow and because it was so much overdone in monotonous lines in the old bedding days. Many good plants have of late suffered from a kind of mistaken prejudice on this account (but) it should be remembered that if the plant was misused it was not the fault of the plant but that of the general acceptance of a poor sort of gardening.
Gertrude Jekyll, Annuals and Biennials, 1916

Before you tip your aristocratic noses in the air, stop a minute and think about the beautiful marigold. There is nothing more joyous and life enhancing than yellow, golden, bronze, or orange marigolds in full bloom, day after day, and week after week. People buy the plants in their millions and plant them year after year. The term “vulgar” is actually appropriate here: it means “pertaining...