When it comes to my annual garden in front of my house, I
tend to go with actual plants – marigolds, coleus, perilla, New Guinea
impatiens (and “regular” impatiens before downy mildew) – mixed with bulbs like
glads, cannas and dahlias. Over the last couple of years, I added some seeds to
the mix: my corner cutting garden of zinnias.
Zinnias are some of the greatest flowers ever because
they’re so easy to grow from seed: you can direct seed by digging a shallow
trench (1/2” to 3/4"), planting the seeds, covering them and watering –
within a few weeks, you’ll see all kinds of little green plants sprouting up!
Once they start poppin’, you’ll probably want to thin them out some, either by
eliminating smaller seedlings or by transplanting them into other areas. I,
however, do not practice what I just preached (or at least what I’ve read): I
leave them all grow, tall and colorful – I haven’t had too many problems with
spots until late in the season (like mid- to late September).
My favorite thing about zinnias – besides their simplicity – is the wide range of colors they’re available in. Red, pink, orange, green (yes, green flowers!), purple, violet, white – there are also lots of bi-color flowers! I plant a variety of colors and bi-colors, and use them in vases throughout my kitchen, dining area and living room.
all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com - 2013
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