Zinnias, My New Favorite Flowers

For years I'd picked up packets of zinnia and marigold seeds at the end of the season when they'd go on sale for half price or more and I had quite a collection in my seed tin. I never seemed to get them planted, probably because my flower beds are all in shade.

This year, with the addition of bees to my property I decided to add flowers to the vegetable garden area where there is a lot of sun.  I added a couple of perennials to a round bed where my kitty Nico is buried - plants that are attractive to bees.  By July 1 I thought the bed looked OK, but there were little patches of open spaces so I decided to plant those old packets of zinnia and marigold seeds.  The ground was well prepared from the perennial bed so I just sprinkled the seeds on the top of the ground and covered them with some soiless mix heavy in peat moss.  Within a week lots of little sprouts appeared.  I didn't pay much attention to them for a while and then all of a sudden I had masses of three foot high flowers!

I had expected flowers about 12 to 18 inches tall.  I guess generous amendments of well rotted cow manure was a good thing.  The zinnia took over! They are wonderful cut flowers, lasting over a week. I've been cutting them and giving away bouquets. I'll not forget these wonderful old flowers next year!

The power of well rotted cow manure.