Decorating with Marigolds
September 16, 2026
Marigolds are probably the first flower I learned by name as a child. In the summers, my grandmother filled enormous bright blue tubs with mounds of red and orange marigolds on the back patio of her rural Ohio home. I remember saving some seeds from her prolific flowers, and today I wish I had kept generations of marigolds going from those special seeds.
Marigolds were my very first attempt at flower gardening as a child. At the time, we had a small creek flowing at the back of our yard, and right across the creek was a level spot, perfect for a garden, or so my child’s mind thought. Looking back the soil was terrible—just sand and clay.
But those marigolds pushed their way up through the depleted soil and brought a lot of cheer to my life. I even remember running out there and filling a red solo cup full of them to take to a sick elderly friend in the hospital.
Over time, marigolds lost their sunny appeal as I attempted other “cottage style” flowers in cool shades of pinks, purples, and blues. With shades in only blazing hues, marigolds became “junky” in my mind, something that only amateur gardeners planted.
This summer, on a whim, I decided to give marigolds another chance in my garden. Last summer a friend gave me some plants which grew like gangbusters, and I figured, “Let’s try again.” With a new baby this year, I needed easy. And marigolds are just that…easy.
A few weeks ago, I wanted to clip some flowers from my sun-scorched, neglected garden. Low and behold, marigolds were some of the only survivors of my forgetfulness and SC heat, and so I brought in these weathered friends.
To temper their warm aesthetic, I tucked the marigolds into a Williamsburg jar with deep blue flowers on the front, and I was stunned. The mini arrangement looked very balanced with a thoughtful mix of cool and warm shades—the red-orange marigold petals atop the blue painted flowers.
Excited, I made another arrangement and this time, set the pitcher on top of a recent thrift store Pfaltzgraff plate. Again, I was quite delighted with the red orange hues against the blues and tans of the classic Pfaltzgraff plate.
I learned that marigolds are an easy and perfect addition to any farmhouse style flower arrangement! The stems and leaves provide instant structure for the buds and a natural contrast to the warm petal hues. In my opinion, marigolds are a very complete flower and do not require other filler materials—perfect for a quick and easy arrangement.
Not only did my marigolds bring joy to my home, but they brought a little lesson to my heart. To my shame, I have passed over beauty many times in my home in attempts to be like others. But what these little marigolds taught me is to embrace what is available to me and make something beautiful with what I already have.
Marigolds have taught me to embrace the beauty that already surrounds my life. For the longest time, I despised marigolds and thought of them as mere weeds. But, oh, how many beautiful opportunities I missed just because I was trying to be like someone else.
Thank you, my sweet humble marigolds, for teaching me to embrace with gratitude what I already have today.
For my friends living in far-flung corners of the world, perhaps a marigold will thrive in your region, too? I hope you will give these hard-working flowers a chance!
-Ashley
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