Mad for marigolds
Look through the pages of any
seed catalogue. Walk into any
garden center in spring. You’ll see
dozens and dozens of mangolds in
all sorts of different flower types:
single flowers, doubles, crested
types, carnation-types, even
delicate lacy flowers.
It’s a wonderful predicament,
trying to decide what’s best. For
even with the dozens of marigolds
to choose from, it’s easy to keep all
those different flower types
straight.
Marigolds are divided into four
basic groups; the dwarf French
marigolds; the taller African (or
American) marigolds; the lacy,
fernlike signets; and a new class,
the triploids. Each group contains
several different flower types:
crested, carnation, doubles,
singles and others. Each variety,
however, has special charac
teristics that make it easy to
decide what’s best for you.
French Marigolds- The French
marigolds are dwarf, growing no
higher than 12 inches. At one time,
along with their small size, they
bore small nondescript flowers,
Short On Cash...
IMM YOU* nii&AW
J&SJ LIQUID MANURE EQUIPMENT
»*, sf Terms Up To 5 Years
MODEL #9OOO LIQUID
PUMP (#6OOO GPM)
husky front mount soil injectors
| HEAVY DUjfY REPLACEMENT BARN CLEANER CHAIN
• r *** s(^*-
THIS CHAIN WILL REPLACE MOST BRANDS OF CHAINS
—I I —II II —\ I —lI —I / —7 — > SALES AND SERVICE
1 I CZ \J V / f(N 501 E Woods Dr, Lititz, PA 17543
_J 1_ f\ K\ CL) 24Hr.Se^ic7<ifSred-Aftlr6 I pMCall
BA DM Mervin Nissley RayShenk
rAttlYI dELKVIUCi (717)872-4565 (717)626-1152
But plant breeders have worked to
develop plants with the same
dwarf size and larger, more varied
flowers.
There are now four types of vivid
flowers within the French group;
crested, carnation or anemone
types, single flowered and single
crested.
By far the most popular crested
marigolds have a mound of petals
in the center and long, broad guard
petals along the edges. Petals are
often attractively quilled or
honeycombed.
Lt i _ | i t i _ • Liquid Manure Pumps
vll LI LL * electromix
• Barn Cleaner Chains
UIIC
US
•T»
HOOK AND EYE
‘Bonanza’ and ‘Boy’ mangold
series are crested types. New for
1984 are ‘Bonanza Harmony’ with
orange flowers and maroon
collars; and ‘Sunny Boy’, with
golden yellow flowers.
Companions to the crested
marigolds are carnation or
anemone types with broad, flat
tened petals and solid, bicolor or
speckles colorings.
‘Red Cherry’ is a popular car
nation type with a red color truer
than other marigolds. The ‘Queen’
series is another popular carnation
type. ‘Queen Victoria’, the latest
addition to the series, has the sam,
unique, broadened petals in deep
gold, lightly flecked with red.
Single French marigolds, such
as ‘Dainty Marietta’ are also
available with broad, single
flowers. ‘Spinwheel’s’ red and
yellow stripes radiate out from the
center of the flower.
Intermediate between single and
the double is ‘Tiger Eyes’, a single
marigold with just a trace of
cresting in the center.
French marigolds mentioned are
compact and make excellent
plants for borders or edgings - as
well as fine container plants.
African Marigolds- The African
(or American) marigolds, are the
statuesque plants often used
against fences or walls, as back
• Bedding Choppers
• Silage Carts
• Manure Tanks
WIDE SPREADING PATTERN
LIQUID TANK SPREADERS
6 sizes to choose from 1200 gal to 5000 gal
FORAGE LINKS
y.j airf
Available From
DOTTERER &
KOLESAR
717-726-3471
drops or focal points for beds or
even as small hedges to divide the
garden.
Lovers of these tall marigolds
can choose between two different
flower types; the all-doubles and
the carnation or anemone types.
The all-doubles have full fluffy
flowers on plants that grow up to 36
inches tall. Flowers stretch 3-4
inches across and from a distance
appear to be soft, fluffy balls of
color. They’re attractive clos up,
too, where their distinctive
doubling and large size really
stand out.
Some of the most dependable
and popular varieties include the
‘lnca’, ‘Jubiliee; and‘Lady’ series.
The carnation American
marigolds have a more flat
topped, broad flowered form with
vivid, pure colors. ‘Sunshot’, a
sparkling yellow, is early, with big
3-inch blooms.
The Signets- Signet marigolds
are one of the best kept secrets in
gardening. With their unusual,
lacy flowers and fem-like foliage,
they attract attention wherever
they’re planted. The lacy flowers
have a very pleasing, delicate
feeling to them. Their 10-12 inch
size makes them suitable for
borders, edgings or containers.
Try ‘Tangerine Gem’ for out
standing performance.
Triploids- Triploid marigolds are
crosses between American and
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 2,1984-825
French marigolds. The result is a
plant with the bst characteristics
of both - the sturdiness and vigor of
the Americans with the compact
habit of the French kinds. Because
the triploids are ‘mules’ they turn
all their energy into producing
flowers instead of seed ... even in
the hottest days of summer.
Both crested- and carnation
flowered triploids are available.
One of the best crested varieties is
‘Encore’, a primrose, almost
translucent yellow.
AMERICA
ON THE GROW
Support
Vocational
Agriculture
&FFAJ