French marigold Alumia Mix - Tagetes patula seeds

The Alumia 'Mix' French Marigold, known by its Latin name Tagetes patula, offers a mix of varieties in warm colours, ranging from cream, golden yellow, dark orange, reddish-brown, to bicolour yellow and red. The flowers are semi-double to double. The well-branched plant has a low, neat habit. Generously flowering throughout the summer, this fast-growing annual is easy to cultivate. Perfect for borders and containers. Sow indoors in late winter or spring.

Tagetes patula is a herbaceous annual plant of the aster family, native to tropical regions of the Americas, from Mexico to Bolivia. It quickly forms a small, bushy and branched clump, with a neat habit, reaching about 25 cm in all directions. It is covered with dark green, highly dissected, strongly aromatic foliage, which may have an unpleasant smell. The flowering period extends from June to September, with regular deadheading. 'Mix' offers magnificent semi-double to double flower heads, over 6 cm in diameter, classified as 'anemone-like flowers' among Tagetes patula. The ligules (the highly developed flowers located at the periphery of the flower head) seem to flutter like butterfly wings, displaying a range of warm tones, from light yellow to dark red. This plant readily self-seeds in the garden, but not always true to the mother variety.

French Marigolds are easy to sow and cultivate in well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade. They bring cheerfulness to summer borders, producing abundant flowers. Their deep and flamboyant colours make them suitable companions for grey foliage plants, such as Artemisias and Stachys, which can help temper their brightness. Golden ornamental grasses also make beautiful companions. They can be paired with the blue flowers of perennial flax, blue salvias, or Love-in-a-Mist. In the vegetable garden, plant Tagetes with Dahlias, Agastaches, and Nasturtiums. The flowers are edible and can be used to decorate salads, cakes, and cocktails.

The scent of French Marigold foliage, and the substances secreted by their roots, repel certain pests harmful to crops, which is why these plants are often interplanted with vegetables.