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Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

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May Dreams Gardens

Life of a Marigold: A One Act Play

May 21, 2011 By Carol Michel 17 Comments

Life of a Marigold
A One Act Play
By
Carol M.

    Cast of Characters

Marigold………………………….  A simple annual flower
Pruners……………………………. The villain turned hero

TIME: Late Spring
SETTING: A garden

ACT ONE
SCENE 1
(We see a simple annual flower, sunning itself in a garden, admiring its beauty.)

MARIGOLD

Oh, I am so proud of myself. I’ve grown a flower! And it is so pretty! Isn’t it the prettiest flower ever! Now  I just need to attract a bee or two to pollinate me and I’ll be all set to form some seeds, drop my petals, and be done for the year. Then I can just relax and enjoy myself and watch the earthworm races. Ah, yes… that’s the life for me!

(Light fades and ominous music begins to play in the back ground)

SCENE 2

(A scary looking set of sharp pruners appears out of nowhere.)

PRUNERS

Where are those lazy annuals that think they can just grow one flower and quit. I’ll show them! That’s not the way it’s done around here! Not on my watch. In this garden, all the annual flowers have to pull their weight. I expect way more than one bloom out of them. They need to provide lots of flowers! I’m going to cut off their first blooms before they set seed!

(Light fades and a scream is heard off in the distance.)

SCENE 3

(The lights come back up in the garden, and we see the Marigold with no blooms.)

MARIGOLD

Oh dear! Oh my! Oh goodness! What happened to my flower?! It’s gone! The last thing I remember was something red and shiny coming at me. I couldm’t get away. Oh these darn roots! I’m just stuck right here. And now no flowers and that means no seeds. Frass! What’s a flower to do? No watching earthworm races for me. I need to get back to this flowering business and produce more seeds. But I’m a smart flower. This time, I’m going to grow way more branches and way more flowers. Those pruners aren’t going to stop me from setting seeds! I’ll show them.

(Light fades again.)
SCENE 4

(The lights come back up and we see the Marigold with several blooms on it.)

MARIGOLD

Look at me! Oh, I am so pretty now, much prettier than before. So many flowers! I’m gorgeous! Just beautiful, if I do say so myself! And I’m attracting all kinds of bees. Why I had no idea I could produce this many flowers! And think of all the seeds I’ll have for next year! This is fun, way better than stopping at one bloom and watching boring earthworm races. Goodness, where are those pruners? I could use a little trim again because I feel like some of my blooms are starting to set seed too soon. I don’t want that! I want to bloom with all kinds of flowers until the frost comes. I want to be the star of the garden! The main attraction! Oh, pruners… where are you??

(Light gradually fades as the flower continues to bloom.)

THE END

The part of Marigold was played by the French Marigold, Bonanza Deep Orange. Many thanks to Ball Horticultural who sent these marigolds to me to try in my garden. They are grown in SoilWrap® containers which are biodegradable.  

The part of the Pruners was played by my Felco pruners.

No marigolds were harmed in this play, though one was deadheaded.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: annuals, humor, one act plays

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cindy, MCOK says

    May 21, 2011 at 1:41 am

    Bravo, bravo! I laughed, I cried, I learned. It is rare to find such provocative drama in one act.

    Reply
  2. Gail says

    May 21, 2011 at 1:56 am

    Move over Lion King, Addams Family and any new versions of Annie~"Life of a Marigold: A One Act Play" is heading to Broadway!

    Reply
  3. Layanee says

    May 21, 2011 at 9:40 am

    Cut off those school bus yellow blooms and keep the world safe from that color in the summer. LOL I especially liked Scene 3.

    Reply
  4. p3chandan says

    May 21, 2011 at 10:00 am

    Clever move and fantastic result!

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    May 21, 2011 at 11:56 am

    Lovely post, Its really dramatic!

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    May 21, 2011 at 12:28 pm

    Bravo!

    Reply
  7. Lisa at Greenbow says

    May 21, 2011 at 1:25 pm

    Such drama with a happy ending. I like that.

    Reply
  8. Anonymous says

    May 21, 2011 at 7:50 pm

    Wow, that was inspiring. You think you are going alright, you face adversity, and you come out of better than ever. Wow.

    Reply
  9. Muum says

    May 21, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    loverly!

    Reply
  10. Kate says

    May 22, 2011 at 4:19 am

    Now I feel so bad about all the unsold marigolds that went into the dumpster at the various nurseries I've been privileged to be employed by. Such wasted potential.

    Reply
  11. Casa Mariposa says

    May 22, 2011 at 4:23 am

    Very dramatic! Will there be an encore? Where can I buy the soundtrack?

    Reply
  12. Wally says

    May 22, 2011 at 11:54 am

    LOL excellent!

    Reply
  13. Dee/reddirtramblings says

    May 22, 2011 at 2:45 pm

    Hilarious, and you taught us something too. Bravo indeed.~~Dee

    Reply
  14. Denise says

    May 22, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    Brilliant morality play!

    Reply
  15. growingagardenindavis says

    May 22, 2011 at 9:54 pm

    I'd love to see this in person…maybe I should!

    Reply
  16. Anonymous says

    May 23, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    Encore! Encore!!!

    This may be the most fantastic post I've ever read. Hilarious! Educational! Entertaining! I give it two enthusiastic GREEN thumbs up!

    In all seriousness, this was just GREAT! Thank you for having a terrific sense of humor and of play, and thanks for this wonderful reminder of how many plants "think" and that with a little manipulation we can get more blooms!

    Reply
  17. Jim Lewis says

    May 26, 2011 at 2:57 am

    Love this post! Can't wait for Act II.

    Reply

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