Let me first explain what the “marigold effect” means. Now let me describe the concept of companion planting. Gardeners intentionally plant certain plants alongside others to intentionally protect and nurture the growth of each plant. A marigold plant is an example of one of the best companion plants as it repels bugs and fungal diseases. In fact, planting a marigold next to your vegetable plants will help them grow bigger as it protected by its marigold.
On the contrary, some plants when planted alongside of others, toxify the growth of the plants around it. For example, when a walnut tree is planted alongside another plant, it absorbs the nutrients from the given plant so the walnut tree can produce more walnuts and grow healthier and stronger. As you can predict, walnut trees are often planted amongst their own.
With this basic information, you can understand the basics of companion planting. Now, if you’d like further recommendations for planting a successful garden, I’ll refer you to my mother in law whose an expert in this area 😉
As you can now imagine, marigolds can metaphorically represent the kind of human we hope to be around: those that support, nurture and strengthen us. We do our best to not invest in walnut tree friendships: those that overwhelm and drain our best energy. Considering this, when you find a marigold friend, you grow as you feel nurtured and supported. Likewise, if you are a marigold friend, you find yourself growing as you nurture and support your friendships. This is the Marigold Effect.
As you are planted alongside another, choose to be a Marigold, so you can have an enriching effect on the friendship and each other. If you find yourself “planted” nearby a walnut-tree, feel free to revisit your harvest and where you’re planted. As I truly don’t believe that walnut tree friends intend to toxify the relationship, they just don’t know how to seek nourishment in a healthy way. And for that reason, I do not believe we should abandon our walnut trees, but to choose how and when we interact with them.
Conclusively, we live amongst marigolds and walnut trees, and by no means should we be divided. We should strive to nurture each other and respect each other’s differences. Our frequency and duration of our interactions can be determined by what we contribute to the time shared. May we be enriching and uplifting.
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