love heat and sun. They are easy to plant by seed after all danger of frost has gone and after the soil warms. Mine usually re-seed themselves for several years. This summer they have just kept spreading to numerous places in the garden, and are migrating off our property and onto the city property behind our house. They are so cheerful looking and come in the bright colors of orange, purple, pink, yellow and white. The one to 3 ft. tall plants will last until frost and then die back. Zinnias are great in summer cut flower arrangements, and butterflies love them. I noticed this week that we have many, many small yellow butterflies in the garden. Zinnias tend to get powdery mildew if they are frequently wet at night. It is best to water them from the ground instead of overhead sprinklers, and to water in the morning.( Too bad we can't control the rain and make it water almost everything at the roots)They like to be fed once a month, and you can deadhead to keep them blooming longer, but are otherwise easy care and are an asset in any sunny garden. They keep blooming when others have quit!
I remember zinnias from my grandmother's garden. I think of them as one of the "old-fashioned flowers", and keep intending to plant some. Maybe next year. Your pictures are beautiful! Thanks for sharing your garden blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks Charlotte. It is good to have those memories. I always remember my grandmother's hollyhocks, and I have had them here, but they get some kind of fungal disease. (It must be in the soil) So I just enjoy my sister's hollyhocks when I visit.
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