The thing about marigolds is that they reseed themselves if you let the heads dry out completely on the stem. I usually wait until the petals turn papery and brown, then crush the whole flower over a paper bag in the garage. The seeds are tiny slivers, almost like little arrows. Last spring I scattered a handful along the back fence and forgot about them until July when the whole strip was glowing orange and yellow. This year I want to try the pale cream variety, the ones called Kilimanjaro. They supposedly get taller than the standard French type. My neighbor thinks they look weedy but I disagree. Keep them deadheaded through June and they stay bushy. Also they handle the afternoon heat better than zinnias in my experience. So yes, gather the seeds now while the pods are dry but before the big autumn rains knock everything down. Store them in an envelope somewhere dark.

So for the community garden plot, I would dig in about four inches of compost before laying any mulch down. The soil there has a lot of clay and it compacts hard by August. I usually do a layer of shredded leaves first, then a thinner layer of straw on top so it does not blow away. Water it in well and give it a day to settle. Then plant your starts deeper than you think, especially the tomatoes. Pinch off the bottom set of leaves and bury the stem up to the first true leaves. That gives them more root surface and they handle the wind better. For basil, make sure the overnight temperature stays above fifty degrees before putting anything out. Cilantro can go in two weeks earlier. And if you have any row cover fabric, use it for the first ten days on the peppers. Let me know if the soil drainage looks off after the first rain and we can adjust the bed edges.