Marigolds are tall flowers, growing up to nearly three feet in height. They are globe-shaped and can be either red, orange, or yellow. They represent passion, creativity, and have been associated with the legendary courageous lion.

Along with these origins, marigolds are often seen in gardens due to their remarkable properties.

Vegetable gardening is a great hobby and a perfect resource to obtain fresh, natural foods. With that being said, when you hear about growing marigold flowers in your garden, it may sound confusing.

If you are a gardener that never really thought about planting flowers in your vegetable garden before, then now would be a fantastic time to consider it.

Marigold may be a flower, but with its make-up and naturally derived elements,it is able to provide an incredible amount of benefits for your vegetable garden.

Here are fourteen reasons to grow Marigold in your vegetable Garden.

1. Marigolds Are Easy to Grow

One of the main reasons why gardeners choose marigolds is because they are easy to grow. They generally start to germinate within 1-2 weeks after planting, which is no time at all compared to many other species.

These flowers thrive in a vast range of soil types as well, making them easy to transfer if need be. Generally speaking, as long as they are watered and have plenty of sun, they will be in excellent condition with minimal need for maintenance.

2. They Protect Against Harmful Nematodes

Marigolds are said to produce natural chemicals that help protect your garden against nematodes, which can severely harm your crops if you do not control it properly. These little organisms and roundworms wreak havoc on gardens, killing your vegetables and ruining your hard work.

Marigolds can help counteract the risk of this occurring in your garden. The compounds developed in the roots of marigolds are nematicides, which effectively reduces or potentially rids your garden entirely of those unwanted guests.

3. Attract Bees and Other Pollinators

Having these flowers blooming in your garden is a great way to attract bees and other pollinators that can contribute to your garden throughout the growing season. They promote pollination and gives your crops the right elements they need to thrive.

Though many vegetables, such as tomatoes, green beans, and green peppers are self-pollinating, you can help them and other ones along by provoking natural pollinators with marigold presence.

4. Attract Predatory Insects

Not only do Marigolds help with pest control due to their own unique chemicals and compounds, they also attract other wanted insects that can help rid your garden of harmful pests that the flowers cannot fight on their own.

Some helpful insects they bring in include ladybugs, hoverflies and parasitic mini-wasps, all of which eat aphids and other harmful pests.

5. Can Be Used to Feed Your Soil

Something you can consider doing with your flowers, either at the end of the season or during, is chopping them up to enrich your garden soil.

Marigolds hold great value for soil enhancement, which is a top priority if you want to have a successful garden during the growing season. Even adding Marigolds after the gardening season is over will still give the soil a head start next year when you begin planting again.

6. Medicinal Calendula

Did you know that Medicinal Calendula is a part of the Marigold family? If you decide to add this species of Marigold to your garden, you can gain an immense amount of medicinal benefits from it as well as gardening ones.

Medicinal Calendula promotes health due to the herbs that it provides. It can drastically improve skin rashes, relieve eczema, heal wounds, remediate bedsores, and even reduce the appearance of varicose veins.

7. They Are Edible Plants

Marigolds are more than just pest control flowers. You can also eat them if you desire when you are done using them in your garden. Some use the petals in salads, or as an edible decoration topper for baked goods like cupcakes.

When the gardening season is done for the year, try taking some of the leftover flowers and experimenting with them in your kitchen to make some tasty treats.

8. Marigolds Can be a Great Trap Crop

A trap crop is a plant that is able to lure pests into them, keeping them away from the vegetables in the garden that they could harm. These handy flowers are also well recognized for being sufficient trap crops for certain species of pests, such as slugs.

If you have marigolds in your garden, you will most likely see these little guys on the marigolds rather than your plants, which is exactly what you would want to happen. If you see that, it means your flower technique is working well.

9. No More Cabbage Moths

Cabbage moths can be an issue for many gardeners. They have detrimental effects on crops, and it can be hard to get rid of them entirely. One of the best ways to try and combat cabbage moths is by adding marigolds into the mix.

Marigolds may not be great at luring away larger game animals, such as deers and rabbits, but when it comes to cabbage moths, they are great at it.

10. Mexican Bean Beetles

Do you have an issue with Mexican Bean Beetles in your garden? These beetles are species of the ladybug and are one of the very few beetles that feed on plants rather than other insects.

Marigold flowers can certainly help remediate that problem. These flowers contain secretion of limonene, which scientists have determined to fights against Mexican Bean Beetle infestation.

11. Marigolds Attract Butterflies to Your Garden

Butterflies are some of the most interesting and beautiful creatures on earth. Not only are butterflies fun to watch and admire, but they can also contribute to your vegetable garden too, such as promoting pollination and encouraging seed and fruit production.

The scent of marigolds is something that butterflies are attracted to, making them a perfect candidate if you want to add colorful wings to your garden.

12. Can Be Used to Make Natural Yellow Food Coloring

This one may not have been something you were expecting, but growing and harvesting marigolds from your garden can be great for making natural yellow food coloring. The vibrant yellow color is widely used to make naturally yellowed icing for cakes or other confectioneries.

13. Can be used As Home Decorations

It is no secret that marigolds are very aesthetically pleasing, making them a great resource to use for home decorating. You can create gorgeous floral displays to get the coloring feeling from your garden into your home as well.

Furthermore, if you want lasting arrangements from these flowers, you can dry them out and display them however you choose.

The easiest way to dry marigolds out is to hang bunches of them in warm, low humidity areas that have good air circulation. Leave them there to dry undisturbed for about 2-4 weeks for the best results.

14. They Add Color and Beauty

With all of the benefits that the Marigold flower provides, do not forget about the fact that it is  an absolutely beautiful contributor  to your garden. It illuminates, give vibrance and colors, giving your garden an even more enchanting appeal than you could have ever imagined.

Conclusion

Now that you have seen what marigolds are truly capable of and how they can enhance your garden, it is time to plant some for yourself and see firsthand that the benefits you have read about are true.

You can be confident that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain from implementing these flowers. Not only will your garden look gorgeous with the diversity, but you will also be able to acquire all of the positive effects that will keep your garden growing strong.