Zinnias

[heavyhitterokra]

I gathered dozens of Zinnia flower heads from all of my favorite colors this Summer and put them all in a paper sack to dry. Then, in cleaning up for Thanksgiving, everything in my Summer kitchen got shuffled and now I can't find the zinnia seeds to save my life. I had planned on giving them out at seed savers meetings this Winter, but no such luck yet.

[chrysanthemum]

I think I’ve spotted a few Zinnia volunteers that are just now starting in my garden. I’ll be excited to see what they produce.

[heavyhitterokra]

Zinnias are one of my favorite garden flowers. They are almost care-free, and always make me feel better when I see them blooming in summer. Not to mention they make a really nice cut flower arrangement to bring some of that sunshine indoors to brighten up the house.

[june]

I love my zinnias and grow them every year...my garden is a bit random (not much growing in rows).  I love volunteers and tend to let things grow in odd places--where ever they happen to be. This is a couple stalks of milo that came up volunteer from bird seed.  I left it because I liked the combined texture growing with the zinnia (also volunteer.) 

 

[june]

...and a hodge-podge of orange zinnias and Black-eyed Susans.  My yard is mostly shade, so I have to grow things in 'patches' where ever there is a little sun.,,and that's last year's electric fence--to keep the deer out.  This year it is twice as tall and with 4 strands of wire.  LOL...looks like some tomatoes in there, too!

[heavyhitterokra]

June, those were beautiful plantings. Thanks, for posting those.

[macmex]

Yes, very beautiful! Isn't it wonderful how no two gardens, not even by the same gardener, are ever the same?

[chrysanthemum]

June, I agree with you about the combination of milo and zinnias. Just lovely! And your other is so beautiful, too. Your gardens look very impressive. Thank you for sharing the pictures.

[chrysanthemum]

I just wanted to mention that my first volunteer zinnia of the year bloomed this week. It’s a pretty yellow one.

[heavyhitterokra]

Last summer, I sowed a pack of zinnia seeds and got every imaginable color, a few were even little green colored flowers.

The various purple, yellow, orange, and brighter pink ones were my favorites, so I gathered probably a hundred of them over the course of the season as they reached seed saving maturity, hoping to give them as seed saving gifts to friends, and to save a few to plant a really big zinnia bed this spring.

The only problem with that plan was that we also use the summer kitchen where I store my seeds, as a place to serve Thanksgiving dinner. On those days, the whole family helps to clean tables and put summer things into storage to make room for the celebration. In doing so, my brown paper sack full of zinnia seeds got shuffled to parts unknown.

It wasn't until this week that I was able to locate them. Someone had flattened the paper bag, stacked it neatly on top of a case of canning jars, placed another case of canning jars over it as a weight, and neatly shoved the cases of jars under a work table to get them out of the way.

The good news is, that I've found my long-lost zinnia seeds. The bad news is, that they are still not planted because I've been too busy planting other things and haven't worked my way back around to them yet.

I also noticed that I saved up quite a few sunflower seeds from last summer's harvest that I didn't boil in salt brine. So, maybe, today, I'll make it a point to get a combo zinnia and sunflower bed planted somewhere. I know I'd enjoy that this autumn, if I'd just take the time to get it done soon.

While processing about half a gallon of zinnia flower heads, I helped pass the time by watching a few gardening videos.  This particular one is all about harvesting zinnia seeds from dried flower heads.
 

[macmex]

I think there's still time to plant them. They bloom so quickly.
Ron, while you're looking around, if you find the celosia seed I misplaced last winter... let me know.

[heavyhitterokra]

Will do, George.