We haven't picked a single zinnia out of this bed off the front porch even though it is more stuffed with zinnias now than it was when this picture was taken a few weeks ago.
I think about cutting a few for a vase and then when I open the front door every morning and look out at them, I just cannot.
I ordered five packets of zinnias from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
These were Polar Bear:
Pink Senorita:
A sparse few of Candy Cane Mix:
And tiny orange Peruviana that are darling:
The last packet was supposed to be Queen Lime Red but obviously are not the beautiful Queen Lime variety:
RH also sowed two packets of sunflowers, Red Sun and gorgeous Chocolate Cherry. They sprang up beautifully until they were about six inches high until each morning more and more were gone.
Undoubtedly this mama was the culprit but we choose her over sunflowers any day. RH cuts up an apple a day for her and each year she rewards us by bringing her fawns to see us.
I do love zinnias so much and am happy Red doesn't like them for her appetizer. I think this article on tole zinnias was in a 1967 House & Garden magazine I was recently looking at: [House & Garden November 1968]
Those would be the perfect solution to my not wanting to cut zinnias that would soon fade in a vase!
Then again, why am I wrinkling up my nose at them? Metal zinnias?
Would you buy them?
Zinnias are such giving flowers - the more you cut, the more they produce new ones. I cut myself a bouquet of them the first day we were back, along with sweet peas and dahlias.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I would buy metal zinnias. I'm not fond of any sort of artificial flower.
So if I had cut them, there would be even more? I'll take your advice!
DeleteZinnias keep looking good for such a long time, I am loath to cut them... and then, when they start to be little brown and dry, I think, Oh, it won't be long and I can scatter the seed right out from the flower directly into the ground. I did that with one flower this week, but another two or three of them weren't *that* dry. I know Lorrie is right about the cutting of them promoting new growth. There must be a very individual, personal balance there, for us each to find!
ReplyDeleteGretchen Joanna
I do hope these will self seed, Gretchen. As you showed in one of your recent blog posts, we do treasure a volunteer plant even when they show up in a crack in concrete. Our zinnia bed is also a spring bulb bed so we don't want to do too much digging around in there.
Deletei love Zinnias. Your garden is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandy!
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