Alisande, The Burpeeana plant habit is another thing that I like about them. Given the opportunity, and a little early-on pinching, they can form beautiful mounded plants. The clump in your picture shows that tendency. "I may have to investigate some sort of support next year because I've lost quite a few of the long side branches. Don't know if it's wind or animals stepping on them -- or just the weight of the branch." I have in the past had serious damage from dogs, and even deer, just running through the garden, but fortunately that hasn't been a problem at our present rural Ottawa location. However, wind and storms have always been a source of damage for my zinnias, and because I am trying to breed and save seeds from select specimens, I use "re-purposed" tomato cages as zinnia cages to help protect my favorite plants. Some zinnia plant forms have a "candelabra" structure that joins side branches to the main stem at a cantilevered 90-degree joint, and that is inherently weak. Some Burpeeana plants have that structure. I try to select toward a stronger angled branch attachment. That is a work in progress. Some zinnias have a very durable "tumbleweed" plant structure that I am trying to encourage by selecting and crossing for. Some of the scabiosa flowered or scabious zinnias have that good trait. "Also, what insects eat zinnia leaves? Some of the leaves look downright skeletal at this point." I have had some damage from flea beetles and nine-spotted cucumber beetles. Also a variety of caterpillars and "woolly worms", which I hand pick when I see them. Occasionally snails and slugs will do damage, and I use Sluggo to safely control them, and a sand mulch is preventative, because they don't like sand. We have a scary number of grasshoppers, but they seem to prefer grass. Fortunately deer don't have a taste for zinnias. I haven't used any insecticide yet, but the nine-spotted cucumber beetles worry me. Try to catch your culprits in action to identify them. Check at night with a flashlight for slugs, snails, earwigs, and such. "I've been avoiding those zinnia breeding threads!" When I am in a bookstore, looking at books as I like to do, and a store employee asks if they can help me, I usually say I am "just browsing". No reason you can't do the same in "those zinnia breeding threads". You would be most welcome to "lurk" or to just make comments or ask questions. However, zinnia breeding needn't take much of your time. It only takes a few minutes to save seeds from your favorite zinnias. Even a little cross-pollination can take only minutes. Those message threads do have a lot of pictures. ZM

well I am a zone ahead of you so I know we experience things a bit differently, but I will jump in and tell you what I did this year. I was determined to have my tomatoes and peppers out earlier than ever. To do this, I planted out the first batch in containers so that I could bring them under cover if necessary. I had planned to plant in the ground with a plan to be able to cover on cold nights--stakes that I could wrap with plastic and cloth cover. My first tomato plants went out first week of May, which is very, very early even for this zone. Peppers were not out as early as they are a bit more tender. How cool are your nights getting? Are you able to protect them if nights get too cool? How hardened off are your plants? Once they are fairly hardened off, they can take cool nights, but not a frost/freeze of course. sorry, no advice, just thoughts and suggestions. :-) P.S.--I only got a few tomatoes out this early (in case I lost them) and I still have some to plant as I am planting in stages, but some of my tomatoes have flowers. This is VERY early.

Sabji : do you have any fenugreek seeds? I have some variegated basil if you are interested Magick: Re you still looking for Stella d oro lily? Would like your white rebloom azalea. Or maybe you would like a variegated basil? Gail, I am jealous! Get something awesome! I will be joining everyone next year for that event. Camelialover: I have set aside purple balloon flower seeds, yellow iris, and Persian shield for your thalictrum, agapanthus, and spirea

Wildflower and Snoogie, bad news. The Dutchman's Pipe Vine seeds I had saved do not seem to be viable. I had thought the pods were a bit small when the first frost hit them but I left them a little longer to see if they would develope further. All the seeds I have started have failed to sprout and the remaining seeds grew some kind of fungus or mold. I will try my hand at cuttings this year to see if I can propagate them. GottaHosta, my Spider Lillies have yet to show their faces. Amaryllis are mixed with them and they have come up only in the past week or so and I have the uncanny ability to shear bulbs in half when digging them up unless I know right where they are. I will happily dig you a couple when they show themselves. I travel all around Metro Atlanta in my work so I can deliver to a wide range of areas. See me at the trade. For everyone else I have your trades ready to go........... I think!