French Marigold Red Favourite Seeds - Tagetes patula

'Red Favourite' is an old-fashioned variety that will delight amateurs of less sophisticated marigolds. Its flowers are simple and small but display richly coloured dark red petals rimmed with gold. They bloom all summer long until the first frosts, providing they are deadheaded regularly. French marigolds are incredibly easy to grow and gratifying. 'Red Favourite' forms medium sized plants that are ideal for edging, borders or pots on the patio or balcony. Grow in well-drained soil, in full sun to part shade.

Tagetes patula, commonly known as French Marigold, is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is native to the tropical regions of the North America and South America from Mexico to Bolivia. It is not very cold hardy, generally treated as an annual in colder climates. 'Red Favourite' quickly forms a small bushy clump, about 30-35 cm in all directions, covered with dark green, deeply divided leaves with an intense aroma that is sometimes deemed unpleasant. It flowers continuously from June-July to October providing spent flowers are removed regularly. This variety features small, single flowerheads that measure about 3 cm in diameter. They are composed of 5 spoon-shaped ray flowers in a beautiful shade of velvety mahogany-red, with fine golden yellow margins. They surround a centre of tiny, fertile, bright orange disc flowers. French Marigolds self-seed easily however the new plants are not always true to type.

Marigolds are star plants in summer flower beds. Brightly coloured and cheerful with a tidy habit, easy to grow and floriferous, they are ideal for borders and window boxes. They can be planted in small patches alongside grey-leaved mugwort and stachys, green-leaved tansies or Kochia Childsii, or small ornamental grasses which will soften their flamboyant colours. Their orange, yellow or red blooms mix well with blue-flowering catmints or perennial flax.

Good to know: Marigold flowers are edible and can be enjoyed in salads, soups and desserts. Some people describe their flavour as reminiscent of passion fruit. The intensely aromatic leaves and the substances secreted by their roots repel various harmful insects, making marigolds an excellent companion plant in the vegetable garden.