Happy Thursday, sweet friends! I hope you are enjoying your week so far. We returned yesterday from our favorite mountain getaway, where it was pleasantly cooler.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
Philippians 2:3 (ESV)
The golden hour spotlights the zinnias in the cottage garden! I am always amazed how tiny seeds from a few packets produce all of this color!
Zinnias provide non-stop color in the summer garden! This is the sixth year we have ordered from Johnny’s seeds. This year we ordered – Aurora, Agave, Queeny Formula Mix, and Benary’s Giant Mix. This beautiful yellow is a Benary’s Giant Mix.
When a bloom (Benary Orange) begins to open, I love to grab a photo.
Aurora zinnias are two-tone blooms. I think the lime green and the splash of blush pink is so pretty! Zinnias are a perfect summer flower. They love full sun and can even withstand our hot Alabama weather!
Hummingbirds love zinnias! Butch captured this one as she was about to land, on him he thought!
We planted seeds in three different spots. This view is in a raised bed behind the main garden space!
I never cease to be amazed at the intricate design of every flower from the hand of our Creator. When fully opened, this will be a Benary’s Giant Scarlet.
I love seeing zinnias blooming in the cottage garden. They are one of summer’s most dependable flowers here in the Appalachian Foothills of NE Alabama.
For zinnias to continue blooming, deadheading is a necessity! RM (aka Butch) works tirelessly in the garden and maintaining our acreage. There is rarely a day that he rests from all the chores.
Zinnias are annuals, but some will always appear from last season. They do not like to be transplanted, but growing from seeds produces a healthy and happy crop.
Goldfinches have two flowers that attract their attention the most…sunflowers and especially zinnias. They will sit underneath a bloom and pick off the petals one by one.
Zinnias also attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. The monarch butterflies visit in October, even though the zinnias are looking a little ragged by this time, the monarchs don’t seem to mind.
All but the bottom left are Benary’s Giant Mix. It is has a totally different appearance. It is called Agave and is a large cactus-flowered zinnia that comes in sunset colors. We have grown the Agaves for three years and I like how different they look, but the Head Gardener has decided they aren’t his favorite!
“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
Another view of the zinnias from the back of the garden! Do you plant zinnias or have you ever planted them?
The raised bed by our driveway seems to be the most productive for zinnias. You can see one of three crape myrtles that line our drive and hay bales in one of our pastures…a summer scene for certain, with zinnias leading the way!
My favorite view of the cottage garden is when zinnias, coneflowers, sunflowers, and the Chaste tree are all blooming simultaneously!
Thank you for your visit and gracious comments. Wishing you a joy-filled day!
Linking with: Between Naps on the Porch,Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
Beautiful ❤️
Thank you, Janice. I hope you are doing well❤️
What a lovely display Pam! And that photo of the Hummingbird is absolutely wonderful.
I think the Agave Zinnia is so unique & quite stunning! ☺️
I hope you enjoyed your time away.
Blessings sweet friend, Jennifer
Thank you Jennifer! Our mountain getaway was perfect. I also think the Agave is stunning!🥰
I just love your garden, Pam, and especially your wonderful zinnias. Yes, I’ve tried growing them from seeds and even store bought plants, and something eats them every time! I have to just enjoy yours through your photos. I love the hummingbird and goldfinch pictures. They made me smile. Have a beautiful week in your cottage garden. ❤️
Thanks so much, Kitty. I am so sorry something eats your zinnias. Gardening is never easy! There are many things out of our control as gardeners. ❤️
Love zinnias! I grew them again this year from seedlings I purchased from a local grower. They’re doing great! I love how you have several beds of them. I can imagine the hummers and goldfinches feasting. Even when we gardeners are tired of gardening, those zinnias continue their performance. I love the photo of the crepe myrtle, hay bales and zinnias. Summer in a photo!
Rita, I am so glad that you too are enjoying zinnias this summer. Thanks so much!
My version of Jefferson’s gardening quote ,”Although and old lady, I am a young gardener!” This is our second year to plant zennias and are enjoying them so much. I appreciated you sharing the varieties you plant. Thank you! JoAnn
Thank you JoAnn. I like your version of the Jefferson quote and it fits me perfectly! You are most welcome! Zinnias keep on keeping on when everything else gives up from heat and lack of rainfall.
Your zinnias are beautiful! The cactus flower one is pretty and adds variety to a bouquet. The more traditional zinnias are my favorite, but I do love the variety in an arrangement. I usually grow zinnias but didn’t plant anything at all this year. I’m somewhat happy that I didn’t, because the heat has been so bad. I haven’t had to water anything except the porch house plants which are thriving in this humidity. I just added another planter of golden pothos from the cuttings that had gone over the original planter and onto the porch floor. I couldn’t just throw them away. I know you enjoyed your time on the mountains. It has been so brutally hot and continues to be, that a respite would be beneficial. We’re looking forward to any pictures you may want to share. I do love the hay bales and mountain in the background of your zinnias. Enjoy your day. Clara❤️
Thank you, Clara. You have had more rain than we have and watering is a daily chore. Your house plants on the porch sound like they are thriving.
We did enjoy our getaway and will be sharing! Stay cool❤️
Oh how I love your beautiful zinnias and Butch’s amazing photo of the hummingbird landing! A painful left knee caused me to pull back a bit in my gardening endeavors this summer. I was able to sow some zinnia seeds, but not in as many areas as I would have liked. My knee replacement surgery was on July 28 and I was thrilled to see my little patches of zinnia blooming when I came home from the hospital. I don’t have many zinnia flowers this year and am limited in my gardening endeavors as I recover, but I am going to do my best to save as much zinnia seed as I can so that next summer’s garden will be more beautiful.
Have a blessed and beautiful day!
Cindie, I knew about your knee replacement, I am so glad you are doing well. My husband had a knee replaced in January and he has done well! I know you were excited to see zinnias when you came home! Take care of yourself!
What a happy post! The Joseph May words are so very sweet. Glad to have you back in Alabama from your North Carolina cool vacation.
Thank you Alice. It was cooler in the mountains!
Zinnias never fail to make me smile. They are one of my favorites and yes, the perfect summer flower.
Thank you Jeanie!
My husband said after visiting your photos, “Let’s plant some seeds next year! “. We get plenty of sun! Your beds of zinnas are the best!
Thank you Maureen. Zinnias love the sun! Happy Thursday!
These flowers are so pretty. I love zinnia’s also and they do love these hot days. Thanks for sharing your pictures, enjoyed and have a blessed day.
Thank you Marlene! Wishing you a blessed day!
You two are living life in full color among all those petal popping Zinnias! You sure did put me in a Zinnia state of mind!!!!
I like that “zinnia state of mind”! Thank you Mary!
I am swooning over your zinnias! I have looked at your post three times now and will look at it again. I enjoyed all your commentary as well. Your explanations of the zinnias are such a delight to read. Your photography should be in magazines and seed catalogs. I have planted zinnias but the last few years some critter has gotten them. This year it was moles. As of now my best chance for ever having zinnias again will be in containers close to the house. I had them in AZ one year in a large planter. That was fun to have zinnias in February!
Thank you for all the Zinnia Therapy! Happy Thursday dear friend!
🌸🌼🌻🌼🌸
I am so happy you have enjoyed the zinnias. Thank you for your sweet comments, Nancy! Those pesky critters…moles are a real menace!
Oh and the Hummingbird photo was spectacular!
Thank you, I will tell Butch!
You certainly do have a healthy and happy crop of zinnias, Pam. SO many gorgeous colors! Alas, our property gets a great deal of shade from large trees. Zinnians probably wouldn’t grow here. Perhaps I should scatter a packet of seeds, though, in a patch that gets more sun and see what happens! Meanwhile, I sure do enjoy yours!
Thanks so much Nancy. Zinnias prefer sun! But perhaps in a patch that receives more sun they would bloom!
Thank you for your encouragement, Pam!
Wow! I recently began a post on zinnias, but set it aside for another time. This is marvelous, Pam. You have inspired me to plant zinnias next year. I have a few that just popped up on their own, but I want to be intentional about a bed next year. They are so special and great for our hot Texas summers. Thanks for this wealth of inspiration.
Thank you, Sarah. I recommend planting seeds next year and you will love all of their colors!
Your zinnias are beautiful. I plant them every year from seeds I gather the previous fall. This year I have not dead headed mine so they are looking kind of ragged. I have seen very few butterflies this year and even less monarchs. We have lots of butterfly milkweed this year so I’m hoping the monarchs are just late to the feast.
Thank you Rachel. I am not fond of the deadheading, but it rewards with more blooms. Butterflies have not been as plentiful as normal around here and several readers have said they haven’t seen as many. We don’t usually see monarchs until October. Hopefully they are just a little late this year. Have a wonderful weekend!
Your zinnias are really spectacular this year! Butch certainly knows the secret to spectacular displays! Hope your getaway was relaxing and there was some cooler weather involved!
Thank you Roxanne! We enjoyed the cooler mountain air. When Butch was downtown today his truck registered 99! Bring on fall!
Oh my, your zinnias are fabulous! I love all the beautiful colors and the different varieties that you have planted. I think the delicate colored Aurora is my favorite but all are lovely including the cactus one. Love the capture of the hummingbird and the goldfinch and I really like that last photo too – so pretty. Glad to hear that you had a great time in the mountains and had a brief respite from the heat. We are currently 11 degrees in Calgary here (brr) but with lots of (much needed) rain so thankful for that. The weeds are loving it lol. Have a great rest of the week!
Thank you Kim. Wow after your heat, I guess a cooler spell was a welcomed relief. August is usually our hottest month. By this time the garden and the gardeners are looking forward to autumn! Happy weekend!
Oh wow, what beautiful colors of happy Zinnias! The photos and different views of your gardens are so fun to see!
So good hearing your NC travels were a delight and photos are to follow…
We are raining here today, there is quite a bit of local concern of flash flooding following wild fires around the Heise Hot Springs area. We will be watching the news tonight. The weather has been so different this summer.
So enjoyed this beautiful post, August is moving quickly. Looking forward to September!
Thank you Sue. The mountains were cooler and were a relief from our heat and humidity! I hope there will be no flash flooding. Flooding is a frightening thing. Take care and talk soon!
Pam you know how I adore zinnias as they were my dear mother’s favorite flower…she planted zinnias and allowed me to plant marigolds…I came to a conclusion that I would rather plant zinnias and so today, I am happy to report they grow well here in Florida though they take a little extra care. (the marigolds always had a smell that I did not quite like). You have such a fine array of zinnias and I will venture to plant o few of your varieties and see how they fare. Thanks for sharing your beautiful gardens and especially the hummingbird and goldfinch. blessings my friend 🥰💕
Thank you Kari. I know it makes you happy that you are growing your dear mother’s favorite flower. I agree the smell of a marigold is not the best, I guess that is why the experts say that they keep bugs away. However, I am not convinced! Happy weekend my friend and blessings always!
Pam, your zinnias are absolutely glorious! I love seeing all the different varieties and colors, but the two-tone Aurora with its lime green and blush pink is especially beautiful. Butch’s capture of the hummingbird is amazing, and I always enjoy seeing the goldfinches feasting on your blooms. Your final view with the zinnias, crape myrtle and hay bales is summer in the country at its prettiest! 🌸🌿 I’m amazed at how well your zinnias continue to perform through the heat and lack of rain. Kudos to the Head Gardener for all that planting, watering and deadheading! Wishing you both a wonderful weekend. ❤️
Thank you, Mary. By this time of the summer season, with little rain and scorching temperatures, the garden, the head gardener, and his assistant are really tired and ready for autumn.
I know you understand, we both love fall!
I love, love, love all your beautiful zinnias, they add so much color to your wonderful gardens. While looking very demure, the pale green and pink ones are very pretty. BTW, I’m having trouble with WP and wonder if you have been getting my posts. A lot of people haven’t. Thanks
Thanks so much, Karen. Zinnias are so easy to grow.
The last post I received was the one on European Travel sharing the fabulous health and wellness spas in Austria!
I just looked up your blog and saw one posted 1 day ago that I did not receive. I subscribe via the Jetpack app.
Karen, that post that was showing was posted in 2021 and I commented!
Thank you so much Pam. Yes I had done an update with new tips etc. Evidently WP isn’t sending it out. At least I can let them know and hopefully get it working. ❣️
How beautiful! Your garden looks incredible. I tried zinnias for the first time this year. They flowered beautifully, I deadheaded them, then one after the other the plant failed. You obviously have magic fingers 🙂
Thank you, Lisa. Wow, I am surprised they died after deadheading!
Your flowers are beautiful Pam! I’m inspired to plant some of my own next time. I love Johnny’s too, and it’s such fun to look through the catalog. Thanks for the beauty this morning!
Thank you Barbara for your sweet comments!
Absolutely gorgeous! Balm to the soul! Thank you for such beauty.
Thanks so much, sweet friend!
Stunning garden as always my friend. Beautiful zinnias! Hubby planted them this year to see if they could grow here in our triple digits. About half of the seeds grew into beautiful blooms. We are thinking of planting them by the coneflowers next year. Hubby grew them in a container this year ( easy to move around). Thank you for always sharing. Hugs!
Thanks so much! I am glad you had success with the zinnias. Thank you for the opportunity to share!
I can only imagine how much time, energy, and toil it requires to keep your grounds looking as impeccable as they do. A big thank you to Butch for all he does to bring so much happiness and peace to all who visit your blog. I really appreciate the two of you.
Yes, it takes a lot of work. None of it would happen without Butch!