Michael Ashley Ball was born on 27th June 1962 in Bromsgrove, West Midlands. He grew up with his older brother Kevin and his younger sister Katherine near Stratford-upon-Avon.As his mother comes from Wales Michael regards himself as being Welsh rather than English, although he has never lived there.ichael Ashley Ball was born on 27th June 1962 in Bromsgrove, West Midlands. He grew up with his older brother Kevin and his younger sister Katherine near Stratford-upon-Avon.
1 Marigolds need lots of sunshine. 2  Though they grow in almost any soil, marigolds thrive in moderately fertile, well-drained soil. 3  Sow them directly into the garden once the soil is warm, or start seeds indoors about a month to 6 weeks before the last spring-frost date.
This will improve soil drainage and fertility. Plant marigold seeds in the soil 1/4 inch deep and water the area deeply. The appropriate spacing for marigolds depends on the mature size of the plant. French marigolds (Tagetes patula) are smaller plants and can be spaced 6 to 9 inches apart.The larger African marigolds (Tagetes erecta) need around 18 inches of space between plants.n temperate coastal climates, where soil temperatures warm quickly in the spring and where spring temperatures are mild, marigolds can easily be direct seeded into the ground at nearly any point in the early to mid spring. The best month to sow marigold seeds is in early April.