By Jeremy Sollars
FRESH from photographing the Warwick Horticultural Society’s Spring Garden Competition Free Times Gardening Columnist BEATRICE HAWKINS shares her musings for this week.
EVERYONE knows that there is a birthstone for each month but how many realise that there is also a birth flower?
The October flower is the marigold and the meaning is “warm and fierce”.
Birthstone is the opal with the meaning of “faithfulness and confidence”.
Marigolds are a hardy herbaceous perennial or annual daisy that come in all shades from bright white through cream, lemon to orange, bronze and bicolour, in doubles or singles, on single stems or in clusters, from tiny petite forms to large sunflowers.
In Nepal their name means “one hundred-leafed flower”.
There is a size, colour and shape suitable for any situation.
Easy to grow, they thrive in full sun, well drained, fertile soil but will also tolerate some shade and poor soil as in a rock garden.
It seems they are the perfect flower for most situations to brighten a garden.
I am heartened to see they have some failings. They don’t like frosts and tend to attract slugs and spider mites.
However they will flower continually from spring until late autumn so deserve a thought for most gardens.
In the 12th century it was believed that “even looking at the flower would improve the eyesight and lighten the mood”.
They have many uses in alternative medicine and their healing powers are legendary.
Their strong perfume repels insect so they are very useful as companion plants in a vegetable garden.
It is said that they are a great companion and help the growth of basil, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, potatoes, squash, tomatoes and melons but are not a good companion for beans and cabbage.
The roots of French marigolds produce a chemical so strong that it is an effective pesticide in the soil for some years after the plant has gone.
There are two types of sunflower seeds, black, used for oil production and the striped seed used for food, both are easily grown and seedlings will appear in about 14 days from sowing and watering in.
Sunflower leaves are apparently edible and tasty in stir fries or deveined and steamed and lastly, the record for the tallest sunflower, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is held by Germany at an amazing eight metres and was grown in 2012.
Apart from all that, a border of marigolds around a vegie patch looks spectacular.
One of the best garden beds I saw some years ago at the carnival of flowers was planted in a chevron pattern of orange and yellow marigolds with curly leafed parsley – marvellous!
The floral window display entries will be on show during rodeo weekend.
Entry forms have been given to businesses in the main area of town and it would be heartening to see a good number of entry forms delivered to Bryson’s by close of business on Thursday 27 October with judging on Friday 28 October.
Entrants are encouraged to use their imagination and showcase their business in a floral way for all to see in their windows.
The winning gardens from the garden competition will be open for viewing on Saturday 22 October.
If there is a sign out “visitors welcome” they will be able to wander in the garden.
If not visitors are asked to respect the owners’ privacy and view the gardens only from the street.
The next meeting of the Horticultural Society will be at 8pm in the CWA rooms in Grafton Street on Wednesday 26 October.
Anyone who is interested in gardening is invited to come along and join like-minded people, share gardening ideas and enjoy a cuppa and chat after the meeting.
