Kestra, marigolds are very happy and giving plants!
We use them often to make garlands for both religious and non-religious ceremonies. Here's an example of how they are used to decorate a house for a wedding.
How do you deal with the smell? While I find marigolds pleasant enough from a distance, I've never liked them in my yard, as they stink so whenever disturbed.
Okay, here's my abbreviated list, and since a thread about flowers really should have pictures... (Disclaimer - none of these photos are from my own flowers, though I do have all of these. The heat and dryness makes mine rather sad at the moment.)
Mexican Heather
Little shrubs that just bloom and bloom all summer. The tiny purple flowers just make me happy. I hate that they're annuals.
Cat's Whiskers
New to me this year, very leggy and rather reluctant to bloom for me, though I'm told they usually do well in hot dry weather. When they do bloom, though, I love it.
Hydrangea
I don't know who could resist the absolute effusiveness of a hydrangea in bloom. I keep meaning to research how to alter their colors, but the blue/purples really are my favorite.
Gardenias
I have a bush in my front yard, and when they bloom, the scent is just heavenly. Plus, there is something endearing about their shy simplicity.
Peonies
The only drawback to peonies is they don't last long enough. I love their extravagance - they seem to give all they have, all at once, then hide away until next spring.
Snapdragons
You know one of the reasons they have this name, don't you? If you take a snapdragon bloom and gently "squeeze its cheeks," its "mouth" will open and close, looking very much like a dragon. When I was a child, it was one of my favorites, because my grandmother taught me how they worked and, if I was careful, I was allowed to play with them.
Cherry Blossom Begonias
I don't like every variety of begonia. In fact, I don't like most begonias. But I found this one at my local nursery this year, and I have loved the cotton-candy blooms that it has produced.
Columbine
I love the delicacy of this flower. I have not yet had success keeping one alive, but I'm determined that next year, I WILL have columbine blooms!
And last, my favorite:
Violets
When I was young, there was a patch of wild violets that bloomed each year in my grandmother's yard. I would spend hours sitting among them, examining them, searching for the rare variegated one in the multitude of purple, and occasionally bringing in a small fistful for Grandma to put in a juice glass on the kitchen table. Lovely memories attached to violets.
