Zinnias

    When it comes to a favorite annual for me, the zinnia has to top the list! The beautiful varieties & colors make it so versatile for your sunny garden. They can be bought (at flat prices too!) or sown right into the ground. They germinate & grow quickly. There is no better butterfly magnet & goldfinch magnet (once they go to seed). There are a couple things to follow to ensure great success with your zinnias. The first is to give them lots of sun. The second is to pinch them like crazy. Once the blooms are a little spent, pinch off the flowers asap. There will quickly be more & more & more buds forming. This will ensure a beautiful, healthy, bushy plant. Last season I wasn’t ready with the areas some of these beauties were going. They sat in the tiny flat 6-pack & practically shriveled away for weeks. Once I did get them planted I figured what do I have to lose by pinching them ALL the way back. They were gorgeous again in a few weeks & blooming like crazy. If you want to attract the goldfinches then let a few taller blooms go to seed, but continue to pinch the side blooms. Zinnias make great cut flowers too. At some point in the season you may need to stake so keep an eye out for that. These really do ‘bloom where they are planted’!