Lily’s Garden of India is a children’s story by Jeremy Smith and illustrated by Rob Hefferan. It is a story about a girl exploring a wonderfully diverse garden. Each section of Lily’s mother’s garden features plants from different parts of the world. One day Lily hears about the plants of India from the plants themselves while visiting that area of the garden. The plants each tell her about their importance in Indian culture. Several of the plants that introduce themselves to Lily are used in festivals. Others are used for food or drink.

One of the plants featured is seen throughout our vegetable garden. Marigold flowers are placed in Indian temples as gifts to the Hindu gods. They are also used to mark the Hindu festival of Diwali. The book also includes a list of Indian festivals and instructions for growing marigolds.

Look for a copy of Lily’s Garden of India in the library box in the children’s section and learn about some of the other plants of India.

Growing Marigolds

Marigolds are a heat loving annual that can be directly sown into the garden after the last frost date. They are believed to repel bad bugs and attract good bugs, such as pollinators so they are good partners for vegetables in the garden.

Marigolds can also be eaten and make a pretty addition to a salad.