a word about zinnias...

Zinnias make me happy.

Look at that sunny, bright little flower face! I doubt I will ever have another garden without planting zinnias.

In fact, next year I have major zinnia bed expansion plans.

Those of you that shudder at the thought of raising a plant from seed, hear this: this is one of the easiest and most rewarding plants to start with. 

Towards the end of winter, I plant my zinnia seeds indoors. A fun part about this flower is there are an unbelievable amount of colors available. One of the advantages to starting your own plants is the choice in variety. This year I chose Pink Senorita, Canary Bird yellow, Will Rogers red, Polar Bear white, Orange King, Violet Queen, and a Lilliput mix. 

The names are as good as the flowers!

I use seed starting soil in individual pots. (I find they are easier to plant when they are in their own pot.) This year I even made my own newspaper pots. More on that later, though.

I keep the soil moist and when the seeds have sprouted I put them under a grow light. And when I say under, I mean directly under... Almost touching.

This is the key to successful seed starting. These little guys need lots of light! Sitting next to a window just won't cut it. I bought my fluorescent shop light and a grow bulb at Lowes. 

That's all there is to it. They grow beautifully indoors, and by the time you are ready to plant outside they are pretty sturdy little fellows. 

Gathering boatloads of these colorful flowers all through July, August and September up until the first frost is so much fun. 

I have bouquets of zinnias all over my house right now.

Literally.

Even in the bathroom. Ahem.