How lucky is the gardener to have a sunny spot to grow zinnias. With their many forms, it's best if the spot is large. I buy about five seed packs a year, each one a different color. The seed packs have shrunk in size over the last several years but I still get a pretty good show with only one (about 50 seeds). Every year I try one to two new colors and keep those I can't live without. There are mixed seed packets that will easily make you happy if a space is limited. I prefer the single colors as I am always mixing them with something like miniature gladiolus or tuberoses. In my single colors I like the large flowering types since I cut them. I have found them far superior to cosmos for cutting, partly because they flower more and last longer in a vase. Some zinnias tend to have branched stems, even among the taller types. A good example is Zinnia 'Zowie', a remarkable orange and pink flowering hybrid. One plant may reach 36" but the branching habit makes it wide with the longest stem for cutting at about 12".

Many years ago the first green flowering zinnia was introduced. The variety was named 'Envy' and more times than not, the seed would be fickle. We learned at the nursery if it sprouted with great gusto, it wasn't going to be the true 'Envy' zinnia. If the seed looked a little strange and germination was erratic, it was the right seed. Over time improvements on the variety yielded better results and today it's a fine variety that comes true from seed and indeed, has a nice green flower. It also branches fairly tight (like Z. 'Zowie'), so tall stems are rarely available.

Last year I tried Zinnia 'Tequila Lime', another green flowering form. Great results, wonderful color for about nine cents a seed. The flower seemed a little larger and the stems a little longer than Z. 'Envy'. This year I went with Z. 'Benary's Giant Lime' and it's the real winner with vigor, long stems and gorgeous green flowers. The plant will grow to thirty six inches or more. Mine are already at that in mid-July. The stems are fairly straight with some branching but it's not hard to cut a 20 to 24" stem. I also tried Zinnia 'Benary's Giant White' which has been the most outstanding white I have ever grown. The backs of the petals are green as they first open and remain that way until the petals curve all the way down. The plants are 36" tall and show no sign of slowing down. With the color combination of white and green, it goes with virtually anything and is stunning in a mixed flower arrangement. The seed is about seven cents each, a packet of 50 is only $3.95.

Now in the last 10 years we have seen a lot of improvements in the small flowering zinnias. Varieties like 'Profusion' and 'Sahara' are tough and drought tolerant. These types grow wider than tall and are called self-cleaning, meaning they shed old flowers. Some colors are better than others when it comes to selfcleaning. I particularly like the orange 'Profusion' best for just that. But the future of zinnia breeding with the larger forms is about to erupt. Breeders are changing the shape of the petals and new classifications will be forthcoming. Zinnias will be scabiosa and echinacealike. Some will have smaller guard petals in the center with a strongly mounding shape. If you go on the internet and look up zinnia breeding, you will see pictures of some of the newer types. No seed companies offer them just yet.

As it stands, there is little that can be bought and bring such joy for such a small amount of money. The seed prefers to be sown directly in the ground (keep it watered!), so no futz with starter pots. Spend your money on good compost to plant them in, time to water them well, and the rewards are crazy good. Great varieties are available now and I'm sure it will be a couple years before we see the newest types, but if your shopping for seed this coming winter, try a few new zinnias. You'll thank me next summer.