I had high expectations for Durango marigolds and they didn’t disappoint. They started blooming in early June in my flowerbeds last year, and the plants still had flowers on them in November. Other than occasionally removing the spent flower heads, I basically ignored the plants and let them do their thing.
Durango marigolds come in two mixes and a bunch of colors and bi-colors including Tangerine, Orange, Yellow, Gold, Red, Bolero, Flame, and Bee. My favorite color in the series is ‘Durango Yellow’ because it’s so easy to mix in with other plants in the garden.
The plants were loaded with flowers for months, and those flowers are big for a French marigold (some of these photos were taken at a botanical garden—I WISH I had that much full sun):
Besides yellow I also grew ‘Durango Tangerine.’ It’s fun to mix the bright-orange flowers with other hot colors, or you can get funky and plant them next hot-pink flowers or soothing blues or purples.
And I had to give ‘Durango Red’ a try. The rich color contrasts nicely with the plant’s dark-green foliage:
This year I’m going to grow ‘Durango Bolero’:
Durango marigolds grow 10-12 inches tall in full or part-sun. You can start them inside about 5 weeks BEFORE your last frost date, or plant them directly in the soil AFTER your last frost date when the soil has warmed.
Durango marigolds are available at Harris Seeds (no affiliation), and I’ve also seen them for sale on Amazon from third-party sellers.