I'm a sucker for zinnias, anyone else?

13 years ago

I know, I know, they're super easy to grow so not necessarily worth boasting about, LOL, but they certainly are pretty so that's worth sharing.

About six weeks ago I scratched a few zinnia seeds into the soil around a small grapefruit tree in the garden that gets watered twice a week and they're already starting to make some nice blooms so I thought I'd share. I don't know about you, but I can't stop planting seeds even during Blast Furnace season, so it's fun to have things like these zinnias, and portulaca, and vincas that pop right up from seed even in summer and grow and bloom quickly.

I did a mix of colors so each bloom is a surprise. The bees and butterflies love them as much as I do.

In any case, I just thought I'd share. I hope you'll take a look and enjoy. If you're growing zinnias too, let us see/hear about them, and if you have something that you love planting outside in summer from seed, let us hear about that too.

Orange zinnia

Take care and happy gardening,

Grant

ps: direct link to the zinnia pic is below in case anyone has trouble viewing the embedded pic.

Here is a link that might be useful: Orange zinnia in the garden

Comments (5)

psuperb1
13 years ago
Grant,

Your zinnias have nice colors. The rain lilies look good also. My zinnia is not an annual but the desert zinnia (acerosa). Not much happening in my garden except watering. I do admire neighbor's ripening prickly pear fruit every once in a while. Hope you get a bumper crop of the zinnias!

Larry
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grant_in_arizona
Original Author
13 years ago
Hiya Larry and everyone,

GREAT pics! I've been admiring a lot of prickly pear fruit these days too. It's amazing what variety there is! So nice to see.

I'm embarassed to say I've never tried desert zinnia though I always admire it when I see it. How has yours done long term and what conditions do you give it??

I do do blackfoot daisy which isn't a zinnia of course, but creates a similar visual effect. Below is another of my zinnia zinnias (Z. elegans). I made a small bouquet of several different colors this morning just to enjoy indoors too. I planted some narrow leaf zinnias (Z. angustifolia) around an orange tree that I grew from seed and they've done pretty well but are battling spider mites, ugh, which are not molesting the hybrid zinnias at all. In any case, below is another pic of one of the zinnias around my baby grapefruit trees--it's fun to plant a mix of seeds and see what colors come up. Pic is embedded at at the link below.

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Take care all and keep the pics coming, Larry, great stuff.
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Pinkish purple zinnia out in the garden--so easy!
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psuperb1
13 years ago
Grant, I haven't checked in for a while. The flower pictures you linked to are interesting to browse through. You have some of everything! A neighbor gave me cuttings of Harrisia jusbertii and her night blooming cereus. They seem to be taking well. The zinnia acerosa I just put in last October. I've seen it look great out in the desert on hikes, so I didn't do anything except plant it. I let it go dormant (withheld water) in the 100+ weather but the rains have brought it back again. Good luck if you decide to plant some!
grant_in_arizona
Original Author
13 years ago
Hiya Larry and all,

Thanks for the additional information. I'll give the desert zinnia a try. I saw some at Baker's nursery this weekend. I'll give them a try in mid or late September. Good information, especially about them being okay getting really dry once they're established.

I haven't been able to check in much lately as I just started a new job this week, and I've spent several evenings looking at houses for sale for a friend moving to this area from Florida. I'm hoping she'll join this forum when she gets to town in a month or so.

Anyway, the regular zinnias are doing great and I love them. Below is another pic of a pink one.

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I have one harrisia and I love it. They are so low maintenance and they do make those amazing blooms. Mine is in the SE corner of the back yard and tosses up blooms off and on all summer.

Take care zinnia lovers!
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Pink zinnia bloom in August
richsd
13 years ago
Wow, I wouldn't have thought zinnia seeds would take in the brutal heat. Nice...!!