Corn Marigolds

To the farmer they are weeds, to me they are wild flowers.

‘Nice annual chrysanthemums,’ I say, all technically correct, during a chat with the East Riding farmer who is ploughing the field next door.

‘Them’s marigolds, lad.’ (He’s even older than me)

My mind whirls, surely marigold is the common name for both tagetes and calendula. 

‘Them’s corn marigolds.’

So I learnt that, in farming, they are corn marigolds throughout the land. Confusing, these plant common names.

He carefully fails to spray a strip next to my garden. This allows ancient seed brought to the surface by the plough to germinate. Result: a gorgeous band of colour around my garden that is also a haven for insects.

Jump to the future to see my latest post about corn marigolds