Marigolds to remind us of the Year of Grace
Every good thing is a gift from God. God’s gifts are what we call grace. Our families, our friends and our
world are all gifts from God. Sometimes, even the troubles that come our way are gifts from God because
we can learn from them.
Flowers can remind us of the beauty of God’s creation. Marigolds are very useful plants to grow in the Year
of Grace, because the colours of the logo (yellow, orange and red) are the same as Marigold flowers. After
viewing the Year of Grace Logo, discuss the colours and their meanings. The Logo Style Guide has some
useful information for the discussion.
(a) A detail from the Year of
Grace logo.
(b) Yellow, orange and red Marigolds.
Download a copy of the Year of Grace Logo and print it poster size for display it in a prominent place in the
classroom.
Discussion
Use the detail from the logo (a) as a discussion focus. A larger version is printed on the next page. Here
are some discussion starters:
What shapes can you see in this image?
Cross and circle shapes made out of dots . . .
What does the cross mean?
Jesus, who died on the cross for us . . .
What do the circles remind you of?
The world, the sun, a flower, a star . . .
What colours can you see here?
Yellow, orange and red
What do the colours remind you of?
The colours of nature, light, fire, autumn leaves . . .
Where have you seen dots in art before?
Aboriginal paintings . . .
See the Year of Grace Style Guide for more information about the logo.
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Receiving, thanking and responding with love – growing Marigolds
When we receive a gift, it is polite to say ‘thank you.’ Every moment of every day, we can thank God for
the graces in our lives: our families, our friends and our world. These are graces that involve relationships.
Relationships require us to care about others, to love them and want the best for them. Love relationships
move us to do everything we can for our loved ones.
The nature activity described below, involves growing and nurturing Marigolds. The purpose of this activity
is to help the students to be aware of the beauty and wonder of creation - one of God’s greatest gifts to us.
Hopefully, the students will become more open to the generosity of God and more mindful of responding to
God’s grace with thanks. Also, it involves developing a caring and nurturing relationship with a plant.
Remind the students, that nurturing a plant (giving it every good thing that it needs to grow) is like the
relationships we have with our families and friends. Love relationships require some effort on our part and
this means being kind and considerate towards others.
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Nature activity (Early Years)
As a simple take-home reminder of the Year of Grace, invite the students to plant and nurture some
Marigold seedlings.
Materials
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Marigold seedlings – these are available all year round.
Plastic cups – 425 ml plastic tumblers are the best and these are available from party supply stores.
Scissors can be used to make drain holes in the base of the cups - teachers only.
Potting mix - premium potting mix is best since it contains all the ingredients for plant growth.
A watering can with a rose or a hose with an adjustable spray gun (use the ‘SHOWER’ setting), will
keep your plants damp without disturbing them.
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Method
1. Planting
a. Prepare each plastic cup by poking a few drainage holes in the base with scissors or a
skewer.
b. Half fill the cups with potting mix.
c. Place one seedling into each cup.
d. Fill in gently around the plants so as not to disturb the roots.
e. Leave at least 1 cm space at the top of the cup for a water well.
2. Watering
a. Dampen the potting mix gently so the seedlings are not disturbed.
b. Keep the potting mix moist (but not wet); the holes in the base should allow the water to
drain freely so the plants are never sitting in water.
3. Growing
a. Place the pots in the semi-shade for a few days until they adjust to their new environment.
b. Then place them in a sunny spot in the garden until they flower.
4. Flowering
a. Once the plants are flowering students can take them home as a reminder of the Year of
Grace.
b. Leave them on a sunny windowsill so they continue to grow and flower.
c. A weekly dose of liquid nutrient will encourage the plants to keep flowering.
Safety tip: use gloves when handling potting mix and wet down the mix before completely opening the bag
to limit the dust. For more information see Fact sheet: Safe Gardening from Gardening Australia.
Prayer suggestion
Before the students take their Marigolds home, use the potted plants as a prayer focus.