Striped Marigold 'Jolly Jester'

Tagetes patula 'Jolly Jester' (though often listed under T. erecta) is a striking French Marigold that brings a touch of the theatrical to UK flower beds. It produces single, daisy-like flowers with bold, alternating stripes of bright orange and deep mahogany red. Reaching about 60cm in height, it has a bushy, upright habit and the characteristic pungent, ferny foliage of the marigold family. It is a half-hardy annual that is exceptionally resilient and long-flowering. In Britain, it is commonly used as a companion plant in vegetable patches to deter whitefly and aphids, but its vivid appearance makes it worthy of the ornamental border. It thrives in full sun and any reasonable garden soil. For the best start, sow under glass in spring and plant out in late May. It is remarkably heat-tolerant and will continue to bloom profusely until the first hard frosts of autumn, provided it is deadheaded regularly.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Well-drained soil.

Hardiness: H2/H3.

Flowering: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.