The new standard for large marigolds has arrived, and its name is Whopper. Available only from Park Seed, this sturdy, long-blooming marigold boasts fully double blooms a mind-boggling 4 inches across. Not since the old Inca (now discontinued) have blooms even approaching this size been availableand Park's Whopper holds its double flower form all season, unlike many crash-and-burn giants.
These bright orange flowers are simply stuffed with short, quilled petals, so symmetrical and beautifully rounded that they scarcely look real. A closely-spaced planting of Park's Whopper is a real delight, because when the plants begin blooming, you literally have a solid wall of flowersno foliage or ground visible in between.
Best of all, this marigold isn't a prima dona that gives you one or two magnificent blooms and then rests on its laurels, while you ply it with fertilizer and attention to try to coax a little more color out of it. No, this is simply a terrific garden plant, reaching 18 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and blooming just as freely as its smaller cousins all summer long. You may get a few blooms that are 3¾ instead of the full 4 inches, but that's a problem most of us would just love to have. And Park's Whopper is tolerant of botrytis, the scourge of many marigolds, so expect healthy plants all season.
Compact and free-blooming, Park's Whopper sports extra-sturdy stems that won't snap at the first rainfall or summer storm. Grow it in the sunny bed, border, edging, or containers of all types. It grows readily from our detailed seed and gives you fast results. And if you like this orange, be sure to try our yellow, gold, and the warm-toned mix of all three.
