Everysummer I fill my gardenswith flowers that keep blooming until fall. It’s gorgeous, it’s affordable, and best of all, it’s low maintenance!
My secret flower is the Zinnia, a gorgeous and strong flower that’s beautiful in the garden and great for easy bouquets.
You can buy Zinnia plants at the nursery in the spring and summer, but it would cost hundreds of dollars to get the coverage I get with just $15 in seeds! A packet of 50 seedsfrom Park Seed is $3 and they have always sprouted well for me.
Note: This is not a sponsored post. I’ve been using this company for 5 years & am a huge fan.
It turns out that Zinnias are so easy to grow from seed, and once established, they require very little care. They flourish in my front garden, despite the strong sun, clay soil, and my inability to water them regularly.
They start blooming in early summer and continue through fall. I still had some color in my garden on November 1st last year. My favorite variety, the Zinna Park’s Pick Mix, grows 4 to 5 feet tall in my garden.
Another benefit? They attract birds and butterflies. The most exciting visitors to my garden have been Monarch Butterflies (an at-risk breed), Swallowtail Butterflies, and Goldfinch birds.
Even the planting process is easy. I put down fresh mulch, then sprinkle the Zinnia seeds where I want them. I don’t worry about spacing or anything, I just scatter them. When the seeds are down, I sprinkle just a little more mulch over the area for cover. I do water them every few days if we don’t have enough rain, doing this for a month or so until the seedlings are well established.
Which Seeds To Use:
Zinnia Park’s Pick Mix – the tallest, most vigorous Zinnias and easiest to grow. I put these against the house in the back of the garden, because they can hit 5 feet tall. Also great along fences.
Magellan Mix Zinnia Seeds – a short “dwarf” version that I put along the front of the garden. The flowers are bushy and only reach about 1.5 feet tall. Great along walkways and borders.
For the best looking Zinnia garden:
- Water below the foliage with a soaker hose because the leaves are prone to mildew, or else just water early in day.
- Cut off the dead flowers to encourage more blooming (called “deadheading”)
- Transplant some seedlings after established to give better spacing between plants. (I don’t always do this
- Consider staking the tallest plants to keep the garden tidy. You can stake just a few of the strongest ones, and then use twine to tie the others up with a line that runs over to the stake. They can fall over if they get too tall, and they can look unruly like they did in my garden last summer:
Now is the best time to order so that your seeds arrive by April! If you’re not sure about it, just try one packet of seeds for now. You can start seeds indoors, but I have never been responsible enough about maintaining them. I just put the seeds right in the ground a few weeks after the last frost. April is best in the VA/DC/MD/DE area.
FAQs
Can I just Scatter Zinnia Seeds? I love that zinnia seeds can be scattered or evenly placed in your soil. It is recommended that they be planted ¼ inch deep in moist soil. Most packets say that you space seeds about 6 inches apart, with rows at least 12 inches apart.
Should you mulch over zinnia seeds? ›
She adds that zinnia seeds can be sowed directly into 1 to 2 inches of organic mulch that will provide nutrients throughout the season as the mulch breaks down to form compost.
Do zinnias come back every year? ›
Zinnias are annuals in most areas of the country that have four seasons, including a cold winter. This means they last for one season. If you want zinnias every year, you will have to replant every spring. Zinnias are not cold tolerant, so check your last freeze date for your growing zone.
How do I keep zinnias blooming all summer? ›
Yes, deadheading zinnias is essential for prolonging the flowering season and maintaining plant vigor. By removing faded blooms before seed formation, you encourage the plant to redirect its energy into producing new flowers. Plus, why not cut your blooms to enjoy inside!
Do zinnias do better in pots or in the ground? ›
Zinnias are versatile and adaptable plants that thrive in containers just as well as they do in traditional garden beds. If you just sighed in relief, I can relate because I did too when I heard this fabulous news!
Do zinnias like sun or shade? ›
Zinnias prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Zinnias are highly attractive to pollinators, particularly butterflies. Three types of blooms: single, double, and semi-double.
What month do you plant zinnias? ›
Planting: Plant zinnias in spring after all danger of frost has passed, around the same time you'd plant tomatoes. Zinnias are easy to grow directly-seeded into the garden. For sooner blooms, start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date.
Do I deadhead zinnias? ›
Zinnias are deadheaded to encourage plants to produce more flowers. Zinnias are annual flowers—their life goal is to reproduce. At the beginning of the season, they focus their energy on growth and blooming to attract pollinators like butterflies and bees.
Should you water flowers everyday in the summer? ›
You should check the moisture level around the base of your plants. Determine the watering schedule you need to keep in order to maintain the right level of moisture. Watering every day or every two days doesn't matter nearly as much as consistent watering. Make a schedule and stick to it.
How can you keep a plant blooming all summer? ›
Keep the soil moist when you get flowers from a nursery. Water deeply and infrequently, especially during the hot seasons and if the soil is dry. You want to ensure they are not in the water for too long, as this can cause root rot or an overgrowth of algae.
While spring blooming bulbs should be planted in the fall, summer-blooming bulbs should be planted in mid-spring, after the frost's risk has passed. Usually, we're safe to plant summer-blooming bulbs after the second week of May. However, if you haven't planted your summer bulbs yet, it's not too late!
Will seeds grow if you just throw them on the ground? ›
While the grass seed should germinate if you just throw it on the surface, you should know that there are a few negative effects of planting the seeds in this way. It could harm the speed and success of germination and may leave you with patchy and uneven coverage.
Can I just sprinkle flower seeds on the ground? ›
We don't recommend just throwing the seed out in the field or into the grass; anyone who's tried scattering seed without removing other plants has been sorely disappointed when their wildflowers don't come up. Why is soil preparation important?
What is the best flower seed to just throw down? ›
Poppies are the best fling-and-forget flowers, especially as one packet may contain several thousand seeds.
Can you surface sow zinnia seeds? ›
If you go the under cover route, sow onto the surface of the compost into a module tray (to minimise root disturbance) and cover lightly.
