My guess would be that they thrive in leaner soil. Just a guess.

As for the white marigolds, mine always looked dirty, not really white.

I would be interested in what others think.

I've got the same issue. All green. No blooms.

Enough sun? My marigolds only bloom in full, all day sun.

I have some marigolds that are all foliage and few flowers this year too. I saved seeds from a friend. They are not however white, but they may either have too much nitrogen from the compost I added. Her reseed ever year and are gorgeous and so full of blooms you can hardly see a leaf.

I used white marigold seedlings that I bought two years ago and they were really pretty. I do remember that they took quite awhile to bloom and were not quick at all like regular marigolds are. They were nice and white and I would grow them again. Not sure about whether you can grow them from collected seed, if they are a hybrid? Can't imagine why they haven't bloomed yet, though.

I've never even heard of white marigolds. Anybody got a pic?

This year I purchased a pot of really pretty marigolds at the Ace Hardware. They are yellow-orange with red edges. There were 4 in the pot and I separated them and planted them in the veggie garden. I have started collecting some seed.

Does anybody know if they will seed true??

Last year I bought a tray of white marigolds from the Orange County NY Arboretum. It was the 1st time I've ever seen them. They grew well, some better than others and I'll buy them again this year if I can. According to a Google search, they were developed by Burpee after a long "contest". The deer left them alone!

Can anyone suggest a showy red flower that deer won't usually eat?

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For true red, they've never touched any of the salvias I've planted. I picked up 4 more 'Hot Lips' at a nursery yesterday for that reason (and the hummingbirds love them). Supposed to be hardy to Z6a, but I will sometimes lose them in winter, might be our wet not our cold.

They've never eaten any of the gold rudbeckias either, I wonder how they would feel about the red Cherry Brandy.

I'm finding there are very few things they really won't at least try (darned fawns mostly). I had a doe in the driveway island bed eating thread leaf coreopsis yesterday and they aren't supposed to like coreopsis and I hadn't sprayed it with repellent. They've never bothered the deciduous azaleas in front that were here when we bought the house, so I bought a yellow flowering one and put it in back - they ate it.

I just came in for a break and to check emails. I probably don't smell good, I've been outside spraying Bobbex repellent ;) Again. It seems to really help, but I have to be careful to keep any new growth sprayed. They will even leave the zonal geraniums alone if treated.