{adoring white marigolds}

I've fallen for marigolds...a flower that was once on my

'never plant' list.......

(I'm not a fan of orange flowers~especially ones that have more of an

'odor' rather than a 'scent')

now, since I've discovered the white marigold...they're at the top of my list.

I purchased a seed packet of 'Snowman Hybrids'

and was quite surprised when I opened it to find about 15 seeds inside! My plan was to plant a living white fence around my vegetable garden...I'm going to need alot more seed packets!

Aren't marigolds one of the prolific seeders, making their seeds quite inexpensive?

Apparently only the orange variety...the ones school children

sow in styrofoam cups in the classroom.

A little research led me to some interesting White Marigold history,

and perhaps the reason for the costly seeds.

Seems it took 56 years to find the right recipe mix to produce a white marigold.

In 1954, after many unsuccessful years,
David Burpee, (son of the founder, W. Atlee Burpee),
offered a prize of $10,000 to home gardeners

to help the professional breeders.

David Burpee in a feild of marigolds.

(image via horthistoira.com)

More than 8,000 gardeners answered the
challenge and sent in their seeds each year.

Alice Vonk of Sully, Iowa, started her first garden when she was 11-years old,
the same year that David Burpee started his search for the white marigold.
When the contest was announced, she sent in her seeds for testing.
For 21 years, she continued sending seeds, hoping she had the winning mixture.

The Burpee Company had spent more than $250,000 on researching
and testing the seeds which had been sent in during the years they ran the contest.
As the years dragged on, finding a mix for the white marigold seemed almost
impossible. So it was with great appreciation that Burpee finally awarded the prize
to Alice Vonk in September, 1975.

Alice and David Burpee

image via flickr

Her years of perseverance had paid off;
she had found the right mix of seeds.

Today, 36 years later, the 2 ½ inch-across white marigold developed by Vonk,
named Snowball, may be found every January

in the Burpee catalogue, as well as a few other white varities they've since developed.

Thank you Alice...I have a new appreciation for these valuable little seeds!

As for my living white fence around my vegetable garden?...it may be a little spacey!

Linking up with Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday!
And Tracie at Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursday!