I picked up a buttload of zinnia packets on clearance last year, along with a few other flowers. I don't have any real plans for them, other than just mixing them in with the veggies willy nilly.

Those danged winged things better keep their distance from me while I'm working, though! ;-)

Diane

When I was working on my indoor sprouting and growing rack, before I got it finished DW came to and handed me 3 packs of zinnia seeds, was that a hint?

Larry

I am buying a quarter pound of Zinnias all yellow from Wildseed Farms of Texas.

Charlie

I adore zinnias and have them all over the place here. Mine have reseeded for so many years that I no longer remember which ones I first planted.

Since they reseed so vigorously in the fall if you don't deadhead them late in the season, I haven't planted any new ones in several years unless there is a recent introduction I want to try. I tried Magellan the year it hit the market and it did fine, but didn't necessarily reseed like the others do. I love the entire Profusion line in every color and height. The Zahara line seems to be very good, but I've only planted Zahara Starlight.

They are among the most drought-tolerant flowers I grow and will survive deeply into the worst drought, although it if it dry enough long enough and I'm not watering, they'll eventually die. At our house, though, only Texas Hummingbird Sage, verbena bonariensis and gomphrena tolerate drought as well as and sometimes better than they do.

Dawn

Diane, I don't suppose it would help to make you feel better about butterflies if you knew about their mouth structure? They have what is called a "proboscis", which is used like a very tiny straw to suck up nectar. The proboscis is curled up when not in use, so it's very flexible. They cannot bite or sting. The worst thing that could happen would be that you might get "winged" - just kidding. Their only defense is to fly away if you get too close to them. They just don't have an aggressive bone in their bodies. Wasps and even bees, will sting if they think you are trying to harm them, but butterflies don't have stingers or mouthparts or anything else to defend themselves with. Their purpose is to nectar, breed, and lay eggs, and repeat that cycle over and over. Hackberry Emperors, Red Admirals, and a few other butterflies will land on you in the garden because they are attracted to the salts and minerals in your sweat. But they can't harm you at all.

Charlie, you really are going to have a lot of Zinnias, huh? I don't know how many seeds are in a 1/4 pound, but I bet it's quite a few. But, I know what it's like to have a fear of something on the other hand.

Larry, I think your wife is giving you a "not so subtle" hint! LOL!

Susan

Susan, it's a completely irrational fear, having nothing to do with fear of harm. LOL It's the wings. They LOVE me and will chase me around the yard. I've no idea why. Then as I running around, flailing my arms and acting like an idiot with my long hair flying every which way, their wings get stuck in my hair. *shudder*

At least it's good entertainment for the family & neighbors. I can laugh about it later and, sometimes, even when I'm doing it. But the stupid fear remains.

Diane

Susan

No fear here, just want a lot of Zinnias everywhere and decided I wanted a yellow theme this year. For what it cost me for 1/4 pound at Wildseed I can't buy that nearly so much in those small packets at Lowes that are a rip off! I try to not be ripped off anymore than possible.

Charlie

Charlie

I wish you hadnt mentioned that, you have just added to my seed addiction. LOL 1/4 lb for $8.50 that is awesome!!

mike

Very nice deal, Mike! I hope we get a picture of those Zinnias in action this summer!

You should get lots of beautiful butterflies, bees, and some day flying sphinx moths.

Susan

Mike,

Wildseed Farms has amazing prices on some common seeds, both wildflowers and ornamental garden-type flowers, and also some herb seeds as well. You can buy in small or huge quantities.

I spent about $4 on two packs of Laura Bush petunia seeds a few years ago, and have had purple, pink and white Laura Bush petunias ever since. They cost me nothing because they reseed everywhere. (Laura Bush is an heat-tolerant ornamental petunia that blooms all summer long even when the temps are in the 100s, unlike the more heat-sensitive bedding plant petunias you buy in stores.)

Every time I see the pots and hanging baskets of petunias in stores in the early spring I want some. They're so pretty and I'm so starved for flowers at that point. Then, I remind myself to be patient and my Laura Bush reseeders will pop up out of the ground and be blooming before I know it.....and they do.

I've planted a lot of flowers, both wildflowers and then others like cultivated varieties of cosmos, sunflowers and zinnias from Wildseed Farms and have been happy with every single one. Almost all of them reseed for me, which means I'm not running back and buying more seed every year.

Right now, I still have 5 containers of the purple-flowered Laura Bush petunia in bloom. I dug up the tiny seedlings out of the garden path last March or April and put them in the pots. Periodically I shear them back to stimulate new flowering growth. At night, I roll or drag them into the garage. Sometimes, I have left them out with temps as low as 10 degrees though, and they haven't frozen yet. These few flowers keep my spirit nourished in the winter when they aren't any native flowers in bloom.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Wildseed's Website

Did you see the "per packet" prices? They've come down in price, haven't they? I may have to order that Tahoka Daisy I've been yearning for.

Susan