Less tethered to garden pages than we were 40 years ago, Stephen and I decided to embrace the zinnia in 2009. We ordered our seeds: Zinnia Profusion (a mix of single-flowered forms of the Zinnia genus) last winter, and started them inside, along with three other annuals: Sunflower Sunny Smile (Helianthus annuus), Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana x sanderae), and Salvia Park's Whopper Lighthouse (Salvia splendens). This was our second year of growing plants from seed, which required a special fluorescent light on a timer and trays filled with (high-quality) dirt into which we carefully placed the seeds to germinate. (Dude.) One tip for those trying this for the first time: be sure to keep the light very close to the sprouts, otherwise your plants, if they grow at all, will be weak and scraggly (as we learned the hard way in Year 1).
Everything seemed to work perfectly this year for us, and in mid-May (note: always wait until after Mother's Day!), we transferred the vigorous young seedlings into outdoor pots. Then came June, and whether it was the rain or the resulting infestation of bugs, our salvia was thoroughly eaten, our nicotiana moped in the shadows, and our sunflowers somewhat perversely bloomed in early July, after reaching a height of no more than 8 inches.
Although our Zinnia Profusion did not emerge unscathed-many of the leaves were similarly chewed upon – it was the only one of our potted flowers to live up to its billing as 'Winner of Gold Medals Galore...the Best Zinnia EVER!'
To this day our little zinnias continue to bloom with vigor, and their approaching Summer of Deathâ„¢ is one of the few reasons I regret to see this summer come to an end. Will I cry when the first frost comes and sends them to their grave? Given that this is also The Summer of Crying Over Small Lost Thingsâ„¢, I just might, even if it does make me a pansy.
Matthew Gallaway is a writer who lives in Washington Heights. His first novel, "The Metropolis Case," will be published in 2010 by Crown.
Zinnia face!
You know, like, "it's in your face!"
Take that, flower-haters.
I didn't know what these were called, but I called them 'Greek daisies' b/c I live in a really Greek neighbourhood and everyone has them.
It's unfortunate that flowers--through no fault of their own--are subject to the same vagaries and whims of fashion as everything else. I mean: carnations? marigolds? spray-painted spider chrysanthemums? bleeaah...
Very summery flowers. Turns out there is even one Zinnia species native to the Rocky Mountain west.
And sage, we have many species in California. They are so varied, you could make a nice garden of them alone.
growing things from seed sucks! alternatively: i suck at growing things from seed.
I used to think that growing things from seed sucks, too! (And ok, I still kind of think that.) But if you buy the right stuff and keep the light really close to the trays--and but don't let them dry out--it'll probably work, and sometimes you can get more interesting (and cheaper!) stuff from seed than you can at your local nursery. (Although I'm not really one to talk, given that zinnia profusion is not exactly a rarity!). We're going 100 percent zinnia and dahlia next year in our pots -- damn, is it spring yet? Good luck!
well, it's spring where i live. i'm just grumpy because all but six of my icelandic poppies dropped dead. i should probably be more careful. but yes, there are wildly exciting things available if you grow from seeds, especially in the heritage vegetable lines. next year i think i'll try purple cauliflower.
Matthew, the drag about zinnias is they are a magnet for Japanese beetles -- a relentless bug whose numbers are barely affected by Japanese beetle traps. From my perspective, zinnias are just too much trouble because once the Japanese beetle has discovered your garden, it may want to stay around.
Thanks, McBeachy--I'll keep that in mind. Given that we would never have more than two small pots of them, though, I think it's probably worth the risk? Ugh, nothing is easy. (h8 life)
Astilbes are a nice late bloomer -- they can go into the fall months and they come in some nice colors and shapes.
Also, there's a fabulous plant called Fairy Candles (aka cimicifuga, I think it is) that is a beautiful fall bloomer. I love them. It looks good as a shrub all summer and is one of those plants that looks very natural to a landscape. And it is good in shade/partial shade!
ps - a friend gave me a tiny little Morning Glory plant at the end of July and it is climbing up my drainpipe now. Those things grow fast!! And the flowers are pretty, even now.
This heirloom beauty is the only zinnia I grow, and it can outclass many an orchid:
http://www.selectseeds.com/cgi-bin/htmlos.cgi/0084.2.5267653721041689183
Nice--thanks for the tip, WSR. (Note that we do have some seriously kickass orchids that I plan to cover in the winter months.)