Marigolds planted outside of Port Saint John. (Image: Barry Ogden/Facebook)
Marigolds are popping up in gardens throughout the Greater Saint John region.
It is all part of The Marigold Project, which has returned for its 24th year this spring.
Founder Barry Ogden said tens of thousands of marigolds are being planted at around 65 sites.
That is a significant increase from last year when only 12 gardens were planted due to COVID-19.
But Ogden said there are some changes again this year as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
The larger sites such as the one along Main Street, which usually has hundreds of kids taking part, will be done by adults this year.
“Some of the smaller sites the children have planted or are planting and then some places adults are planting them, but the children at all 60 some schools did grow marigolds this year,” Ogden said.
Work on The Marigold Project usually begins well before the spring, said Ogden, with fundraising taking place in November and December.
From there, the seed orders are placed and students begin growing the flowers at their schools in March.
“We usually do around 200,000 [each year] and I think our total has been four million marigolds over 24 years,” said Ogden.
Ogden said he believes this will be the eighth straight year that they hold the Guinness World Record for most flowers planted at once.
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