Yesterday I pulled up all of the dried-out marigold plants from the border of my vegetable garden. As I did it, millions upon millions of seeds and seedpods fell into the upturned soil. And now I’m wondering, will I be cursed with marigolds next summer?

This spring, I planted two small seed packs around the edge of my garden, as a feeble attempt at keeping pests away. They were probably one of the best things that grew in my garden. They ended up being over a foot tall with tons of beautiful yellow and gold blooms, providing a sunny welcome from late June well into October. I also thought they did a great job keeping the pests away, but then last week my friend told me the pests just hadn’t found my garden yet, because it’s new.

I had decided a while back not to plant marigolds within the garden next year anyway. They just took up too much valuable real estate. I figured putting them along the edge, outside the border of the garden, might work just as well.

But now I’m wondering if I’ll have marigolds in the garden anyway, on the edges and probably invading into the middle of the garden space. Of course, I’ve never had much luck with anything reseeding itself, so maybe I’m worried for nothing. But with my luck, this would be the one time when I do get “volunteer” plants. The time I don’t want them!