Bonus Zinnias (For Olivia)

Yes, I've been on the Zinnia flowerevangelism trail this week (and that's about the only kind of evangelism you'll find me engaged in!) with these super simple, über easy summer workhorses ... and I can't stress enough what a wonderful addition they make to any sunny border in the garden. Whether you plant them in rows, mass them in an area or just have a few here and there, Zinnias rightly deserve their place wherever you have a sunny spot for annuals. I've planted them amongst Cosmos 'bright lights' for several years now and they make a great companion for them ... or planted behind Balsam (Impatiens balsamina) ... pretty much anywhere you want fiery bursts of color in the sunny border.

This was the first year we had the inspiration to use them as a bit of a "hedge" around the tomato and pepper patches of the vegetable garden, and they have performed fantastically, even after having been beaten down by some heavy rains and winds. It's definitely a design element we plan to repeat in succeeding years, as we have not only got a colorful border around our favorite veggies, but a handy cutting garden as well! I've been cutting a few each time I go to harvest the tomatoes and peppers, and as I noted in my previous post, they quickly replace themselves!

Of course fire color lover that I am, I was particularly smitten with the red one at the top here, though I was also very taken by the cream colored one beneath it ... and surely Olivia will recognize which one made it in the mix for her delectation ... along with a bonus Monarch!

Enjoy! They're with us for a while longer ... as long as we can keep frost at bay ... and I'm hoping we'll be able to do that for some time yet ... even with low's in the 40's forecast for next week. As long as the frost stays away, the zinnias and our other colorful late summer bloomers will stay with us!