.....zinnia

Yogis,
It’s summer so I am immersed in flowers. Black eyed susans, passionflower, echinacea and sunflowers all hold a special place in my heart. What would I do without cardinal flower, goldenrod and bergamot. But I think if I had to pick one flower as my all-around go to garden favorite, zinnia may be my choice.

According to Wikipedia:   Zinnia is a genus of plants of the tribe Heliantheae  within the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are notable for their solitary long-stemmed flowers that come in a variety of bright colors. The genus name honors German master botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn (1727–59).

According to me:  Zinnias are fantastic!

I don’t feel like my garden is complete without zinnias. Although they are not native to our area, they are easy going plants, draught and pest tolerant, happy to share space with the natives and add that dependable burst of color all summer long. Every time I look out the back window, they catch my eye.

Zinnias can be started easily from seed. Buy a pack of seeds, or better yet, ask a gardener friend for some seeds from their plants toward the end of summer and you are set for the next growing season. In March I start some seeds in my indoor aerogarden (I highly recommend this wonderful indoor starter) but in early May you can also just spread them in the garden. I do both! You can never have too many……….

From afar you can’t help but notice them, but get real close and you find a party going on in the center. It looks to me like streamers, confetti, horns. Zinnias are not shy.

Yes, they provide much delight to us humans, but that is almost a side benefit. The insect world loves them! Bees, butterflies, grasshoppers….. I seem them all stop to visit the zinnias. Zinnia is also a favorite for hummingbirds. And who doesn’t want hummingbirds in their garden?

They come in so many shapes and colors. If pink doesn’t do it for you, grow the orange or red. Old fashioned frilly ones, more sparse modern shapes, dwarf size and ones that grow and branch up to five feet tall. They also love to be cut and put in vases in your home, bringing summer indoors. They have great staying power and cutting them to the next stem encourages even more flowers.

Where to plant them? They are sun lovers! The more the better, however they will also agree to bloom in partial sun. Shade or wet spots, however, are not their friend.

Now that I think about it, I am beginning to be known as the zinnia lady in our town. Each year I grow zinnias in the community garden along with many other flowers and herbs, but it is the zinnias that are the star of the show. ‘Saw your zinnias today!’ I often hear.

As summer winds down and each bloom drops its petals leaving the seed pods which begin to dry, cut them off and keep them in a dry spot inside. In spring you can start the process all over again.  The perfect circle. Thank you zinnia!

Grateful for flowers,
SARAH