southernmagnolia's Blog

The Beautiful Zinnias
Aug 6, 2009 | 6:56 PM PST
Tags: giant cactus flowered zinnias , impatiens , salvia , geranium , tomatoes

I got home late from work. Our company has moved to a new office and I am working late every night doing extra tasks associated with the move.  Tonight I didn't get home until almost 8:30, but it was still light outside so I went out and sat on the low brick wall and looked out over my garden.

It is looking good.  The zinnias are opening at a record pace and they are so lovely.  God definitely loves color.  He sure makes those zinnias the most lovely shades of orange, pink and yellow.  I love to drink in the colors with my eyes.  I am happy that this year I put in a wide variety of flowers with the zinnias, impatiens, salvia, forget me nots, flocks and pentas.  Everything seems very happy although I am learning to plant some of the low plants out away from the tall ones that shade them.  Leftovers from last year are the Mexican heather, the dead nettle and a couple chrysanthemums.  Oh and the hot pink geranium I nursed through the winter on the dining room table.  The butterfly bush is doing well too.

The tomatoes are okay, although they seem like they should be getting some new fruit.  The same 13 tomatoes have been hanging on since mid-July, and no new ones have set on.  The fruit that's there looks good, at least to a novice like me.  I keep hoping for the gargantuan tomatoes that the plant labels promised... but right now they look like the size of most grocery store varieties.  Hopefully they will keep getting bigger.  And someday they'll be red and ripe!

 

 

My Giant Zinnias
Oct 11, 2008 | 6:36 AM PST
Tags: zinnias , zinnia seeds , giant cactus flowered zinnias , hummingbirds

I bought a package of giant zinnia seeds at Lowe's (Lowe's brand) this June and sprinkled them in an inch or two of dirt along one side of our patio.  They sprouted right away and, according to the package, they were to grow to 2-3' in height. 

They are now up to 5' tall with beautiful big blooms.  The package reads "Zinnia Giant Cactus Flowered, Mixed Colors" and cost $1.25.  I must have 50 plants and they have been the highlight of my first summer garden.  The soil around my patio has alot of sand in it.  Maybe that helped.  I put MiracleGro on them twice.

I didn't know that hummingbirds would be attracted to zinnias, but they were and they loved them.  The little yellow "mini-flowers" (?) inside the big flowers must have had good nectar.

I plan on putting more of these in next season.