September Morning

“The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.”~Jon Kabat-Zinn

Friday Fleurs: Last of the Zinnias

I have been picking lots of zinnias this week, putting little bouquets all over the house, as I can tell their days are numbered. The leaves are pretty ratty and mildewed by now, but the blooms keep coming and I will keep picking until they stop. I just love my zinnias, so colorful and cheery. I had some great varieties this year, including a 3-foot tall scarlet zinnia with 4"-wide blooms.  So showy! I plant most of my zinnias from seed, and I wish I had kept that seed packet, because it's definitely a winner.

Which Zinnias to Choose?

So many zinnias to choose from! Those seed packet displays at the nursery are so enticing, especially in the chilly days of winter.  But I found these seeds especially tempting, with their pretty watercolor designs. I always plant zinnias from seed, and I picked up a few packets of 'Peppermint Stick' and 'Cut and Come Again' last week at the nursery. But I will be choosing more varieties in the weeks ahead and am going to order a few also that I can't find locally.  It's fun to look at catalogs online and see the multitude of varieties that available.  I can't seem to help myself when it comes to zinnias. Below are some of the zinnias seeds I plant every year~ I always do the 'Cut and Come Again,' they are great for cut flowers and I find they are the most mildew resistant. I also plant the 'Peppermint Stick,' the lime green 'Envy,' and the small 'Profusion' zinnias, which are great to use as borders.

I love this 'Queen Red Lime' zinnia, but have never seen the seeds around here. That is one I will be ordering from Burpees. Also the 'Tequila Lime,' another lime green variety I want to try. If you sign up for their email newsletter, you get free shipping. There's a bunch more  ('Purple Prince') I'll probably order too. I could look at pictures of zinnias all day long...

'Queen Red Lime' zinnia (via Burpee)

White 'Profusion' zinnias (via Burpee)

'Candy Cane' zinnia (photo via Fine Gardening)

Fall Zinnias

My zinnia plants are looking a little tired, but there are still plenty of cheerful blooms. I'll keep picking as long as they let me. What a great flower, tried and true. I have been cutting zinnias every week since early June. My favorite.

Friday Fleurs: Happy Zinnias

Ah, zinnias, the perfect summer flower. I like to pick them and fill all my little vases, so I grow them every year and this year they are looking particularly good. I plant a small patch around my mailbox, all zinnias, and they get a lot of compliments from the walkers (and dog walkers). I plant the smaller 'Profusion' zinnias around the edges and then the taller varieties in the middle. I always buy seed packets of 'Cut and Come Again' and 'Envy' (lime green), and I usually choose a few other varieties too. I like to mix up the seeds and plant them in open areas in my perennial garden too, so I always have plenty of zinnias for picking.