Mary Gold’s Marigold Tea

Mary Gold was named after the marigold flower – big surprise there. With the last name of Gold and a yard full of those bright sunshiny flowers, what other choice did her parents really have? She quickly learned to embrace her namesake and began tending to the marigolds in the yard. She absolutely loved them. She loved the way they looked when she held her face close by the bright yellow petals; it was like the whole world was made of soft, delicate layers of sunshine. Unlike most, she loved the way their musky scent perfumed her when she walked between the plants. She loved the sound they made when the wind blew their leaves. She loved the feeling of the fluffy petals beneath her fingers. She especially loved the way they tasted.

Like most young kids, Mary had a tendency to put her outdoor finds directly into her mouth to find out what they were all about. Lucky for her, her mother made sure the backyard was filled with edible wonders, so this habit wouldn’t get her into too much trouble. Mary’s fondness for the bitter, tangy flowers seemed only to be matched by the bees, who frequented their ever-growing patch just about as much as little Mary did.

Mary’s mother was quite happy for her daughter’s newfound love, for she now had insurance that her flowers would always look their best. See, Mary’s mother had planted a marigold once many years ago and, while she watered it when necessary, she didn’t go out of her way to tend to the plant. Thankfully the plant lasted long enough to go to seed and set itself up for more growth next year. Not noticing the self-seeding that occurred, Mary’s mother had no idea there was ever anything to tend to come the next growing season, when she was pleasantly surprised by a small crop of three new plants. She did her part in watering them (once she was aware of their existence of course) and the lovely little plants treated her to the beauty of four more plants the following season. After several years of this, she had about a quarter of her small yard filled with the kind yellow flowers, so she decided to leave them to tend for their growing metropolis on their own. They did just that. While they did become a little crowded by some weeds, the flowers maintained a relatively steady population all on their own.

Now that Mary entered the picture, the flowers were always free from weeds, with as much room as they wanted to grow. They grew with Mary. When the flowers came to cover a full half of the yard, the bees decided there was no reason to leave and had accepted the hive box that Mary put out for them as their new home. With her arsenal of marigolds and her supply of fresh honey, she was unstoppable.

Growing up, Mary had consumed marigolds in every way imaginable. She enjoyed petals sprinkled in her salads, baked into cookies, and tossed in with sautéed vegetables, but her absolute favorite way to enjoy her special flowers was a simple cup of tea. She loved the peppery flavor unaltered, but she eventually discovered that a couple drops of fresh honey create the perfect balance of sweet and spicy.

Whenever Mary felt the slightest bit under the weather, she would whip up a cup of her tea and she instantly felt better. She did the same for her parents of course, and after years without sickness past a couple hours of a runny nose, they knew it must be a truly special blend. As she was about to finish up her schooling, Mary began sharing her tea with others when something was ailing them. She would invite them over and brew them a cup of her tea. Eventually, people from all over town began visiting her in hopes of receiving a cup of “Mary Gold’s marigold tea” and, like magic, the health of the town improved drastically.

Her recipe was not a secret and many others soon tried to make their own marigold tea. Some bought the marigold flowers and honey directly from Mary herself in hopes of producing the magic elixir at home, but they never succeeded. One young boy even asked to use some of her water, thinking maybe that would make all the difference. Mary happily provided him with as much water as he wanted, but the tea still wasn’t the tea.

As an old woman, Mary Gold continued to provide her powerful healing tea to anyone who needed it and share her methods and ingredients with anyone who asked for them. Mary Gold lived to be one-hundred and eight years old. Everyone agreed it was largely due to her legendary marigold tea. The memory of her will always live on in her forever accessible, but never able to be replicated marigold tea recipe. Marigold tea made by any other name is apparently not just as sweet.