My Zinnia Garden 2020

A Very Happy Day to everyone.

If you enjoy flowers of any type and enjoy a very pleasant way to start your summer day.  Think Zinnias.  Easy to grow and so beautiful to wake up in the morning to these beautiful timeless beauties.

They are very easy to grow.  All you need is some healthy seeds and a little effort.  I use my zinnias as a backdrop to my shrubs as well as plant in containers.  

Here's what I do and you can too!

Whether your soil is healthy or not so healthy decide where you want to plant the seeds.  Wait until after May 31st.(around Memorial Day) or after so there is no possibility of frost or very cold soil temperatures.

My planting of my seeds is very simple and I will show in pictures what I do.

I first decide where I will enjoy them the most and I am lucky to have several windows I can look at them from inside and I can enjoy them everyday outside.

When you decide the location. I sprinkle a little basic garden(annual perennial fertilizer in the soil and rake it in.   Then get a garden tool or a large end of a screwdriver and make about a quarter of an inch indentation in the soil.

 Sprinkle your seeds in that indentation and cover the seeds LIGHTLY with good garden soil.  From that point water the area LIGHTLY (a fine mist) is the best for about a week or two or until you seeds the seedings start to surface.  Be patient!  They start to come through the ground pretty soon.  It all depends on sun and weather.

Once the seedings appear continue to water everyday unless you get enough rain then let them be.  From that point when I see them I fertilize about once a week with Miracle Gro until the plants are established.   Your garden of zinnias will grow faster than you think.  

Enjoy your garden and I hope 2021 will be your best Zinnia Garden ever.

Let me know how they grow in your garden.

P.s I also plant some in containers following the same instructions.

FYI:  You can start your seeds in early May if you would like but I have found it to be unnecessary once the ground is warm they grow quite quickly.

Happy Gardening from my garden to yours.

Gardening Zinnias 2020

Gardening can be an easy and fun hobby.

My zinnia garden has primarily been started with seeds from previous years.  The below photos are from this year.

The first step is easy.  If you are not using seeds from another year buy quality zinnia seeds at your local lawn and garden center.  My original seeds were bought at our Agway Garden Center.

Wait until there is so sign of frost.  Usually after Memorial Day or June 1st.

I plant my seeds behind existing shrubs to deer proof them.  We have plenty of deer that just love any flowers but unless they are up and front they usually don't bother them.  So beware you may have to spray a deer repellent if they are close to an area deer are know to habitat.

Using a long screwdriver or garden tool I made a 1/4'line in the soil and spread seeds gently into soil. I then cover the seeds with a fine garden or potting soil.  Water gently with a spray mist until seedlings are established.  It takes anywhere from 7 to 10 days depending on warmness of soil and weather temperature.

The photos below should help you to understand the growing adventure.

Good Luck!

Note:  you may need to support the zinnias as the grow.  I buy twine and put posts on each end to give support to the zinnias.

From my Happy Garden to yours,

Zinnias Short and tall versions

Summer gardening 

From my garden to yours 

Lesson 1

Buy quality seeds, Container and /or potting soil 

Do not plant seeds in ground until after Memorial Day.

Frost can occur at any time before that date .  It’s pretty safe to say it shouldn’t occur after that date.

Clean up area you plan to plant seeds.  I usually use a little good soil to mix in with ground soil.  I plant my seeds in a row close to my house for some support and I like the uniformity.

Zinnias will need some support as they grow.  I use twine or string and attach the twine/string to posts I hammer in ground.

(you do not need to put posts in ground until seedlings/ plants are at least 1 foot high.

Note:  you can start seeds in early May in small containers in your home to give the seeds a quick start.

I’ll do another tutorial on how to do that early step in another blog post.

THESE ARE THE ZINNIAS 2020 July.
 It was necessary to add two rows of string to support them.

These were planted from last years seeds collected in the fall.

CONTAINER GARDENING!

FIVE

FOUR

THREE

TWO

ONE

My 2020 Garden

I love my small garden.  Years ago I thought the bigger my garden it was it had to be.  Boy have I changed!

I love my space.  It fits my needs and makes me happy to walk out and explore new buds and new beginnings.

• Hope you will enjoy the tour.

A few hours at the Phipps Conservatory

Hubby surprised me and asked if I wanted to go to the Phipps Conservatory. He's not into flowers ,butterflies and all types of plants so this was huge! Here's a few beauties I captured with my camera. Enjoy!

Re-post 6/13/16

This was basically a small tour of their gardens.  If you ever visit Pittsburgh put this on your list of must see.  Relaxing day or a few hours.  There is plenty of information provided as you walk through the conservatory about these flowers and plants. 

It's always a good day when you learn something new.

Smiles and Love,