Mighty Marigolds
Mighty marigolds, rooted deep in the soil, stabilize their swaying wisps. Layered like a blanket, hundreds of marigolds tightly packed in their beds.
The view of hundreds of orange clustered pom-poms stretching across the fields feels like sunshine on the cloudiest days.
Marigolds have had deep meaning for hundreds of years. Marigolds can be used to share purpose or meaning such as a desire for creativity, to remember and celebrate the dead, to remind us that there is beauty and warmth in each sunrise -Just to name a few. The earliest use of marigolds can be traced back to the Aztec people who attributed magical, medicinal, and religious properties of marigolds. It is said that in the 1500’s, native marigold seeds were given to early Spanish explorers by the Aztecs. Marigolds were cultivated in Spain, and eventually brought to Europe and Africa. As marigold seeds circulated throughout indigenous cultures they grew in popularity. Today, marigolds still hold their strong symbolism and are used in Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a celebration that originated in Mexico to honor deceased friends and family. In India, the marigold is used to celebrate friends, and is known as the Friendship Flower.
We enjoyed working with marigolds this past year. From bouquet to garland to dye, marigolds have proved to be as versatile as they are beneficial. Not only were they used for their aesthetics, but marigolds also provide benefits to the farm such as attracting beneficial insects and keeping the non beneficial insects away.
Buzzing with passion, we wanted to have a lasting stamp of last year's marigold harvest. We used them to dye our Spade & Plow pocket tees. This was an exciting experiment in which each t-shirt had its own unique hue. Our Marigold dyed tees ranged in color from a brilliant sunny yellow to sorbet apricot. This year, our plans to use Marigolds vary from cut flowers to tea and to natural dyes. A common tea combination we will use with marigolds is mint and pineapples sage. We love the flavor of this tea and can not wait for it’s debut in the fall.
