Flowers

Swim in a Sea of Zinnias

I swim in a sea of zinnias     Zinnia101

I need to come up for air     ???????????????????????????????

I see another zinnia     ???????????????????????????????

I forget the world up there     ???????????????????????????????

I may be a fool     ???????????????????????????????

but zinnias are cool     ???????????????????????????????

They’re kinda three flowers in one     ???????????????????????????????

Petals so bold     ???????????????????????????????

round a ring of gold     ???????????????????????????????

on a big, fuzzy bomb when they’re done.???????????????????????????????

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62 thoughts on “Swim in a Sea of Zinnias”

    1. Thanks Grower. They do love sun, you know. Space is not a problem here. Time, perhaps, but not space. Like you say, next year. 🙂

    1. Thank Julie. I love them too. Such reliable bloomers at a time when so many flowers are fading. I bet yours are just as gorgeous as mine. They are zinnias, after all. Being pretty is what they do. That, and feed the butterflies. 🙂

  4. Tant de vie dans ces photos : elles transmettent joie, vivacité et puissance ! Forcément, je les imagine dans un vase(transparent de préférence) et posé un peu partout dans la maison.

    1. Merci Christiane. Joie, vivacite and puissance! 🙂 Beaucoup de couleurs, beaucoup de possibilités pour bouqets.
      Je pense que tu amerais ma maison aujourd’hui – il y a un bouquet dans toutes les chambres. Zinnias et les tournesols. Tout heureux et lumineux. 🙂

    1. Indeed. The little ring of yellow flowers is particularly beautiful, I think. It is so interesting to me that the zinnia comes in so many colors, but always has that little yellow ring. 🙂

    1. Thanks Amy. That’s a heck of a compliment, as I can tell from your blog that you’ve been nearly everywhere, so I’m thinking our zinnias are pretty darn awesome. You build me up and I appreciate it. 🙂

    1. That’s awesome. At this particular moment,I would agree. At other times, I find myself fascinated with other flowers, being naturally whatever is in radiant bloom at the time. But now, I’m into zinnias. Last evening, after a big rain, being amidst the zinnias really did feel like I was swimming in a sea of zinnias. Thanks so much for checking in. 🙂

  9. Spectacular, vivid colors, for some of these shots you must have been laying on your back looking up.
    I saved water in 33 ga. trash cans last rain. I’m happy I did. I am not crazy about hauling buckets out to the back forty to do my watering. Our water bill was gi-normous last month. It could be worse — I could be growing avocados at $1500. a month for water.

    1. Thanks. When you want the good shot, you gotta get in the right position. Some day I might have one of those cool cameras with a flip viewer and I won’t have to go crawling through the flower beds so much. 🙂 As for water, thank God it rains around here. It makes it all so much easier. My brother in Montana once told me all about his irrigation system, then looked around here and said, “But, of course, it rains here.” That said, I do collect water in a rain barrel to supplement the water for tomatoes and such in a dry spell. Cheers. 🙂

    1. Thank you Cat. Looking good this week in the zinnia patch. And thank for keeping up with the blog. I super appreciate it. 🙂

    1. Yes, they are and yes, it is. Indeed, we have bouquets of zinnias and sunflowers in all the main rooms. Looking good this week. 🙂

  13. Beautiful. Zinnias are new to me. I’m almost sure that I have not seen such flowers here. Are they related to aster as their higher classification is: Asteraceae

    1. It is utterly fascinating to me that you have not seen these. I have now learned through comments on the blog that you have not seen them in Finland, they are considered exotic in Serbia and are hard to grow in France. But Julie has them in New Zealand. I think they are native of North America, originating perhaps in Mexico. They are quite common around here and are the easiest flower for me to grow. As I have noted in other comments: till the soil, plant the seeds, hope for rain and behold the marvelous zinnias. I marvel that they are not popular Europe. Either they just haven’t caught on or the soil must not be amenable to their growth. Who knows. Thanks for letting me know. Oh, and yes, I suppose they must be related to the aster. They look a little like an aster and are late season bloomers, like the aster. That is all I know about that. Have a great day. 🙂

      1. By the way, I found out that you can buy Zinnias seeds here in Finland. I’d love have them in our garden. The garden is small and there is not much space left. We’ll see. Greetings from Finland 🙂

        1. That’s great. I will be very interested to hear whether they succeed. I bet they will. They are so reliable here. If “dead-headed” they will keep blooming for a long time. 🙂

  14. Such a great post! I love zinnias. Almost as much as I love dianthus. And gardenias. And day lilies. And–well, I love all flowers. They’re each so wonderful in their own way. Thanks for the beautiful images, too. I especially love the pictures looking up from beneath.

    1. I’m with you. I love this flower, that flower and the other. It’s amazing how the flower grabs our attention as it presents itself. Dianthus are so very compelling in the early summer, I think they must be the most beautiful flower ever. Then we proceed through the season, thinking the same thing again and again. It sure keeps me gardening. 🙂 Thank you for the kind compliment. The shot with the single flower next to a healthy, but not flowering plant, all against the gorgeous blue sky is perhaps my favorite of the post. 🙂

  15. Hi Jim – Zinnias bring back happy memories of childhood. My mother planted Zinnia’s every year and I spent many days watching the lady bugs and bees enjoying our flower garden. The colors make me so happy. Thanks for posting. – Sharon

    1. You are most welcome, Sharon. Thanks for reading. Now and always. Zinnias are special. Kind of the quintessential garden flower, you know. Sturdy, reliable and determined to keep blooming. I’m glad they bring back nice memories. Our butterflies love them. We do not have many good old red lady bugs around here anymore. I think they were run off by their brown cousins who invaded from Asia. Alas, a happy memory of childhood which must remain a memory. Have a great day. 🙂

    1. 🙂 Being amidst them last evening after a hard rain, it felt like I really was swimming amidst them. Hang on here! I’m not sure I’m ready for the ‘blog becomes reality’ bit. That could be alarming. Have a great day, Jet. Also, after reading your post yesterday, I found myself thinking of those truckers waiting to cross Zambezi. They really need a bridge! Thanks again for that post.

    1. You are most welcome. Thanks for checking it out. They are really remarkably beautiful in that moment when the petals unroll. So fresh and vibrant. 🙂

      1. Being that I am so nearsighted, I find these details fascinating. It thrills me to see your brightly colored mix of close up and overview. 🙂

  18. It’s simple
    Really
    All power
    All knowledge
    of
    The Universe
    Can be found in
    Your Verse
    on
    Zinnias

    1. Then I guess I’ve said all that really needs to be said. Is it the notion of needing to come up for air yet forgetting the world up there? Or maybe the ring of gold? Or maybe it’s the big fuzzy bomb….

    1. Thank you – as always. Tell me, Twisted Yarn, do you have zinnias in Oxfordshire? I have been fascinated to learn through blog comments that zinnias, the essential garden flower in America, are not particularly popular, well known or easy to grow in Europe. Surely, they are grown in England. Being such a reliable flower, I am amazed that they aren’t quite popular everywhere.

    1. Thanks for the reblog. Your zinnia envy will pass as we shift seasons, eh? Me to fall and you to spring. Should be fun! 🙂

  26. every year I say I am going to start zinnia seeds indoors (as they must be grown here in Ontario) but I never get around to it in the winter. Beautiful pictures! Maybe this winter…

    1. You will be glad next fall if you get them going for next summer, as they are the life of the party in the gardens nowadays. I sow them directly in the soil and they grow really well. You might try that. Till the soil, sow the seeds and see what happens. Zinnias are darn good at growing like that. 🙂 The worst that happens is you are out the cost of some seeds and you have a little weed patch if they didn’t take. 🙂

  28. I love zinnias too and so do butterflies. The 1st time I saw them was in someone’s yard against a black fence. It was so stunning I had to plant them..and I do every year. Thanks for the pictures they are breathtaking, and thanks for stopping by Thoughts are like Bubbles.

    1. My pleasure stopping by. I saw you were posting about lavender and soap. We make soap here (Firefox, not me.) My favorite herbal ingredient is peppermint, though lavender is quite nice too. Yes, I grow zinnias every year too. They really power the garden into the fall with lots of color. Great fun. Mighty pretty! Have a great day! 🙂

  29. Hi Jim,
    Beautiful! I love Zinnias too. I always think of the almost-gone by center as a birthday cake with a ring of yellow candles on it 🙂
    Best,
    Gabrielle

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