Happy Thursday sweet friends. Whew…it has been a hot summer in our Appalachian Foothills and the heat continues! Prayers for our neighbors to our east who have been impacted by Debby.
“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”
Psalm 42:1 (ESV)
I have a tall glass of sweet iced tea with a slice of lemon for your enjoyment as we venture out in the relentless August heat to view our garden’s most colorful and longest lasting flowers…zinnias.
It still amazes me that a few packets of seeds can give this much color and variety to the garden!
This is our fourth year to order our seeds from Johnny’s Seeds. We ordered five packets of seeds…Benary’s Giant Mix, Queeny Red Lime, Benary’s Giant Purple, Queeny Lime Orange, and Queeny Lemon Peach.
Apparently the Head Gardener dropped a seed among the lantana!
Zinnias are a perfect summer flower. They love full sun and can withstand our hot Alabama weather!
They attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds! The monarch butterflies visit our zinnias in October. By this time, they are straggly, but the monarchs don’t seem to mind!
Zinnias are one of summer’s most dependable flowers here in NE Alabama. Once the blooms arrive, the show is on until frost!
I love their vibrant colors!
I never cease to be amazed at the intricate design of a zinnia bloom from the Hand of our Creator! We only have to open our eyes to see the wonders of His creation!
Zinnias are annuals, but we always have some appear from last season. They do not like to be transplanted, planting from seed produces a healthy and happy crop.
Benary’s Giant Purple!
Deadheading greatly benefits zinnias as it promotes more blooms.
Zinnia is a genus of plants of the sunflower tribe within the daisy family. Members of the genus are notable for their solitary long-stemmed flowers that come in a variety of colors.
“A butterfly, one summer day
Spoke to me as he fluttered my way
He asked me where the flowers were
And told me which he did prefer.
I pointed where the zinnias grew
He thanked me, and off he flew!
As I continued on my walk
I wondered, who taught him to talk!”
~Joseph May
Thank you for your visit and gracious comments. Wishing you a joy-filled day!
Linking with: Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
Zinnias truly are the queen of the late summer garden. Yours are beautiful. Ravenous bunnies made short work (literally) of many of my seedlings, but the remainder are entering their glorious prime.
Good morning, Cindie. Thank you for visiting. Those pesky bunnies, so happy you have zinnias to enjoy. Wishing you a lovely day!
I do love zinnias, and yours are a beautiful mix, Pam. I actually had very good luck transplanting several last year, as I had iverplanted, and they were consuming my south flower bed. I saved seeds from a shorter variety I had in another bed last year, and only planted a few of those this year, but they are wonderful! I love to watch goldfinches pluck the petals.
Newsflash! We got 1″ of rain last night!🎉 so excited!
I am so happy for your 1” of rain last night. Maybe more is coming your way. We are in another dry spell. August gardening is tough, we are just trying to hang in there.
Thank you for your visit, Rita!
Gorgeous Pam and Butch! I love the varieties and colors of zinnias that you planted and the big colorful patches of color they provide in the garden in the heat of summer! We battle the bunnies eating the tender seedlings as they emerge and had to resort to sowing seeds in containers. I would love to have some big above ground containers for a large swath of blooms for the butterflies and bees. We’re getting some much-needed rain from Debby this morning…when it rains, it pours! Happy Thursday. 🌸💗
Thanks so much, Mary. I am so glad you are getting rain. Hopefully no flooding🥰
They are such a happy flower. So colorful and joyful. You have given me the desire to start some from seeds next year. 🪴
Thank you, Ruthie. I know you would love have zinnias!
Good morning, Pam! What glorious blooms in your garden, your house must be full of flowers. My zinnias have really struggled this year. I neglected to order from Johnny’s. Between no rain and the fact I didn’t thin my seedlings, I have a lot of green stems and leaves and few blooms. Do you all fertilize? I have a raised bed that I plant them in, and I wonder if that is part of my problem too. Still hoping for at least a stray shower from Debby here in Upstate SC.
Good morning, Roxanne. Gardening has its challenges. Butch does fertilize the zinnias, but not often. We have some planted in a raised bed and they seem to do well. I so hope you get rain. Did your sister receive a lot of rain?
Zinnias are so hearty and yours really show. The colors really pop. Have a great day. Hugs Kris
Thanks so much, Kris. Sending hugs back to you!
I love your zinnias Pam, so colorful and pretty! It’s so nice that they love our summer heat!
Thanks so much, Jenna! They are a great flower for our heat!
Good Morning, dear Pam,
I enjoy seeing your zinnias. They are such happy flowers if the bunnies don’t get to them first!
I love seeing your colorful mix. I lost many zinnias to Bunnies or a Groundhog. However, some zinnias that still have chicken wire around them are doing well.
I sure hope you can get some rain. 🙏
Thank you for such pretty photos this morning!
🌸🌼🌼🌸🌸🌼🌼🌸
Oh those pesky bunnies. They love to feast on our gardens. I am glad you kept the bunnies out with the chicken wire! Wishing you a delightful day!
Your varieties are beautiful! Our zinnias have done well this year. We’re currently enjoying lower humidity and milder temps and it’s glorious! Enjoy your day. Clara❤️
Thank you, Clara. I am thrilled you have lower humidity and milder temps. That is supposed to come our way ❤️
Good morning Pam and Butch. We are having a Fall kind of day with cool temperatures and cloud covering. My daughter said there was a nearby tornado this morning. Lowell has always told me that tornados form within the bans of the hurricanes and that was the reason when he was flying for NOAA that they stopped flying the hurricanes when they hit land. They are having to much rain. Sure hope God protects all His children from Debby’s fury🙏 Maybe youll receive some of the moisture from Debby but hope no damage to your zinnia bed, they are beautifully designed by our Father.
Hello Alice. I am glad you are having a Fall kind of day. I would enjoy one of those. Does your daughter live in NC? We didn’t receive any rain from Debby. Yes, the tornadoes are very frightening! Enjoy your day!
Yes she does. They are having down pours and her back yard looks like a pond. She still has power but the main portion of the storm hadn’t reached her yet.
Oh, my. Praying for them!
Oh thank you Pam! What a happy and pretty post of the most colorful zinnias! I happen to have read Psalm 42 this morning and enjoyed finding it in your post again! Hope you will be enjoying some relief from the heat soon, thank goodness for iced tea 🌸🌿💛🌿💜🌸 and happy flowers. We in the mountain west are experiencing a lot of forest fire smoke and wind, but our heat temperatures are inching downward today. God Bless you!
Thank you, Sue for your sweet comments! I am sorry you are experiencing forest fire smoke and wind, but happy your temperatures are inching in the right direction. We were both thinking on Psalm 42. God’s Word is so relevant and comforting!
Oh, my! Those vibrant colors! Just stunning! And you captured them so beautifully to share with us. I am so thankful for you and your blog. God bless you!
You are so sweet, my friend!
Love your zinnias Pam…as you know, they were my mother’s favorite and I always have to plant some, but yours are so bright and beautiful. thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Kari. I do remember they were your mother’s favorite. Wishing you a beautiful weekend!
Zinnias are a favorite of mine and I’m always glad they tend to be late arrivals so I can enjoy them longer!
Stunning flowers! Your garden is heavenly!
Thank you sweet friend!
When I think of summer flowers daisies and sunflowers come to mind. But if I had to choose just one flower that speaks summer the most, I would always say zinnias. I think it is because of their bright and bold colors that I associate with the heat of a summer afternoon. I love your varieties, each is wonderful.
Thank you, Karen. Zinnias are colorful and dependable!
Sweet friend, I am envious of your zinnias. They are absolutely gorgeous! For some reason, mine have not done that well this summer. I’m thinking I may have purchased some bad seeds. It’s just not been the greatest summer for gardening at my house this year. We didn’t have much of a spring and jumped right into hot temperatures. Oh well, I guess that is part of gardening. Thanks for sharing your beautiful blooms. I always love to see your stunning gardens. Enjoy your weekend!
Thank you, Shannon. It has definitely been a challenging garden season. It has been hot and dry here. Wishing you a beautiful week, my friend!
You can’t help but love zinnias. Their colors are so bright and cheery, and their petals so intricate. They make great cut flowers for a sweet bouquet.
Thanks so much for your visit, Judy! Happy Monday to you!
I was truly looking forward to seeing zinnias that I planted from seed, Pam, and they were growing so great. But alas, one day I went out and they all were eaten down. So sad and disappointed I was! I have the worst luck with critters in my yard. Yours look absolutely beautiful, though! 😊
Kitty, how disappointing. I know rabbits love the tender shoots of zinnias. Thank you for your sweet visit! Happy Wednesday 🥰
Pam, your zinnias are absolutely gorgeous. Love the different types!! – Patty
Pam, your zinnias are just gorgeous – such pretty colors and varieties! I just googled them and they will grow in Calgary too so I shall have to keep them in mind when I start thinking about landscaping our south-east facing back yard next year. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos and I’m crossing my fingers that you get some rain!