Lemon Gem and Golden Gem are varieties of a species of marigold that produce a profusion of very tiny single flowers on bushy plants. The foliage is very fern-like and is more pleasantly scented than any other marigold. Marigolds can take lots of heat and full sun. They like well-drained soil and moist, but not wet, conditions. To keep them blooming all summer, remove spent blossoms.
Seeds are easy to plant, bloom almost immediately, and can reseed themselves.
These plants have very few pest or disease problems. Spider mites can occur during hot, dry weather, but squirting the foliage with water often can wash them away. Aster yellows is a viral disease that distorts the shape of the leaves and flowers, and turns the plants yellow. The virus is spread by leaf-sucking leaf hoppers that are difficult to control. Destroy and remove affected plants, but don't add them to the compost pile.