Saving Zinnia Seeds

If you live in the Boise area, our dry spell means zinnia seed-saving is easy. Clip off dried flowers. Pull each petal off and you'll see the seed at the end. Snap off petals to save space when storing. You can leave them on, too. I put the seeds in a small paper bag. Be sure to label your seed. The zinnias in the photo are from a State Fair Mix. They generally produce true seed, but it's possible they could have been cross-pollinated with other zinnias. Four seeds heads is plenty for the next season. I'll leave the rest of the seed heads so the birds have food during the winter.

Every Yard Needs Zinnias

Throw the seeds out there and they bring you bright flowers that are resistant to disease and most pests, while they attract "good guys."

Garden Flowers

These make me happy.

Autumn Flowers: Zinnia

Technically, zinnias aren't "autumn flowers," except they do continue blooming into autumn. And this one in particular is interesting because the seed selection and location were not my decision. It's a volunteer.

Speckled Zinnia

A small flower with interesting paint splatters. I plant oodles of zinnia seeds each year. These plants make me feel like a gardening superstar.

Pink Zinnia

Another year of zinnias, as I continue my ban on petunias and geraniums (because of bud worms). The pink and yellow zinnias are blooming now.

Frozen Garden: Hot Pink Zinnia

Not so hot pink anymore, after getting zapped by frost. I've been posting photos over the past several days showcasing the garden "after-the-big-freeze."

Frozen Garden: Twirly Zinnia

A "state fair" sized zinnia frozen in time.

Frozen Garden: Small Zinnia

One of the petite zinnias. These flowers will stay in the garden in their freeze-dried state for the winter so birds can eat the seeds.

Wet flowers today. Suddenly, it feels like autumn in Boise.

Orange-y Red Zinnia

I wish I had planted more of these superstars. Well, next year.

Hot Pink Zinnia

Isn't it delicious? Next year, I'm planting zinnias everywhere. They've become my gardening superstars.

Orange Zinnias

If you've been following along, you know I'm on strike against petunias and geraniums this year, due to a bud worm invasion last year. My baskets and pots are stuffed with zinnias. I like these little orange ones.

Flower Power

The zinnias are really starting to rise to the occasion.

Mini Zinnia

I have oodles of zinnias in the garden, in baskets and in containers this year. I've gone on strike against petunias and geraniums due to last year's unfortunate run in with bud worms. This is a mini variety zin.

Zinnia with One Star

One yellow star in the middle so far. They'll rim the center of the bloom as it matures.

Zinnia Ghosts

It was just a few weeks ago that I was posting all the bright zinnia blooms...I'll leave them up for the winter in case the birds want a snack.

Dried Flowers

It was just a month ago that I was posting a series of zinnias here in full bloom. I will leave this up over the winter in case they make a handy bird snack.

Zinnia Gallery Series - Tiny Light Purple

The last one for show...frost has killed them off. But they're on my planting list against next year!

Zinnia Gallery Series - Mini Pink

A few tiny ones in the mix this year.