Merry is the Marigold

 

This summer was my first year planting marigolds. And I love them! I've passed them up in the stores over the years because they are familiar and likely treated with neonicotinoid insecticides. I read that marigolds are not typically treated with neonicotinoids, however. But just in case, I bought organic marigold seeds. I've not regretted planting them, either. They have lasted from April to November and are one of only a few flowers in my yard. Even the wildflowers in our fields are spent, with Asters being the last to go. Straggler pollinators are left to gather pollen from remaining flowers in my garden, including roses, feverfew, salvia, forget-me-nots, and zinnias.

 Marigolds are indigenous to Mexico and Guatemala. They attract beneficial insects such as the parasitic wasp, which prey on harmful garden insects. Some gardeners will even plant marigolds between tomato plants to eliminate pesky insects. 

The carpenter bee in the photo likely has been making holes in our wood shed. The female carpenter bee is the wood muncher and the nest builder. I have yet to find a solution to remove the beneficial bees without harmful chemicals. I may find a way to move them out next year. They naturally nest in wood piles and dead trees; we have plenty of both around.

I will note that from my observations, bees don't prefer Marigolds. They are the last resort for them. 

 

"Open afresh your rounds of starry folds, Ye ardent Marigolds." 

                                -John Keats