Zinnia’s for Romance
I am a romantic at heart. Heck, I am a big romantic all the way around. I love poetry, holding hands with my wife, and bringing her fresh flowers. To me, there is not much that I enjoy more than bringing flowers to my wife.
With a yard full of flowers, you would think it would be easy for me to get fresh flowers for her each and every day. Yet, as much as I love to bring her flowers, I have a hard time cutting flowers from my garden. My concern? Others won’t be able to see them in the yard. Silly, you say? I know, I know!
Four years ago, I created a cutting garden. This cutting garden is simply designed so I can bring fresh flowers into my house on a daily basis for my wife. Nothing cries summer more than fresh flowers in a vase on top of a kitchen table, lounge room, or even besides the bedside desk. Fresh flowers bring a smile to all who see them, and they really light up a room.
The first secret of my cutting garden lies in the location. I placed my cutting garden in a spot where I would not see it daily, therefore, I would not miss the flowers when they were cut. I found a place in my yard where I could not see it from my house. After all, I did not want to see bare spots where a thriving garden once stood. The romantic in me just can’t bear to see an empty garden.
After locating the perfect spot, I ensured that it had full sun, as well as made sure that it could be reached by a garden hose. As the soil was not very good, I amended it with compost and other soil improvers.
The second secret to my cutting garden was the choice of plants itself. I wanted flowers that would grow quickly, and would replenish easily. Annuals fit this bill, and I found that the Zinnia was the perfect choice. Notable for their solitary long-stemmed flowers that come in a variety of bright colors, the Zinnia is very easy to grow, and are especially popular flowering plants.
Not only do they provide great color and wonderful size, they are also rather popular with our butterfly and hummingbird friends, as well.
Just prior to planting, water the flower bed well to thoroughly moisten the soil. Ideally, the garden bed should also be slightly moist prior to planting. Don’t get in a hurry to plant too soon. Most annuals prefer warm soils and stable temperatures to grow well. Early to mid May is a great time to plant them by seed, as our soil begins to warm up considerably.
After planting the seed, make sure they get an inch of water each week, and stand back. By mid summer, there will be a small field full of Zinnias just waiting to be cut and placed on your kitchen table. Enjoy!