How to grow them
Scatter seed where it is to flower and rake it in. It will seed itself around the plot from then on. Take off dead flowers to keep it going.
Flowers for the plot
Pot marigolds
Orange flowers from June to the frosts. Hoverflies come for them and stay to eat your aphids.
- Buy as
- Seed
- Space
- 25cm between plants, 30cm between rows
- Position
- Full sun
- Rotation
- Fits anywhere
- Difficulty
- Easy
The year
Sow outdoors
Flowers
Flowers and picking
The petals are edible and brighten a salad. For cut flowers, pick when the blooms are half open.
What goes wrong
Problems, and what to do
Mildew
Common late in the season. Pull the plants and let seedlings take over.
Good neighbours: Tomatoes, Potatoes, Courgettes.
Same family
More from flowers for the plot
NasturtiumsA sacrificial plant. Cabbage white butterflies and blackfly go for it and leave your crops alone.
Sweet peasGrow them on the bean canes. They pull in the bees that set your beans, and fill the house with scent.
SunflowersBees in summer, and seed heads for the finches in autumn. Every plot needs a few.