ORGANIC FLWES
52
Zin
as (Zinniaelegans)
Zinniasareprolific, fast-growing,hardy,annualflowers,
suitableforalmostallclimates.Theyarerobustinthe
heat(theflowersarenotpronetosunburnlikesome
othersummerflowers)andarealsohardyindrier
climates.Thezinniais oftenoverlooked,astheir
‘standard’bright-colouredcultivarsarethoughttobeall
that’savailable.However,zinniascomeinmanyshapes
(button,cactus,beehive),sizes(suchassingle,double,
semi-doubleflowers),plantheights(dwarfthroughto
gigantic)andcolours(variegated,bright,pastels).
Zinniaswillcontinuetogrowandbloomwellinto
autumn(untilthefirstfrost)andif youaresomewhere
warmanddry,willgrowalmostperennially.Growingnotes
Inourcool-temperateclimate,wealwaysplant
zinniasatthesametimeaszucchinis,andgenerally
whenthezucchinisarereadyfortheirfirstharvest
soarethezinnias(bothequallyfast-growingand
prolific!).Plantallyearinthetropicsandfrom
wintertoautumninthesub-tropics.
Youcanplantzinniasdirectlyfromseed,oras
seedlings.Incoolerregions,seedgerminationis very
slowuntilthesoilsstartwarmingupinNovember.
However,whentransplantingseedlings,bedelicate.
Submergetherootsinwaterbeforetransplantingor
usea compostablepeatpotthatyoucanplantwhole
withoutdisturbingtheyoungroots.Fullsunand
well-drainedsoilsareessentialfortheseplants,as
theyarepronetofungaldiseaseif theyexperiencetoo
muchcoldcombinedwithwetsoils.Dwarfcultivars
growreallywellinpotsandprovidecolourfulhighlights
orbordersinthegarden.Initiallypinchoutthecentre
shoottoencouragebushierplantsandmoreflowers.As cutflowers
Excellentcutflowers.Pickwhentheflowerhasfully
formed.It is essentialthatyouharvestyourflowers
oftenordead-headthemforcontinuousgrowth.fa ouit
‘PolarBear’:elegant,simple,almostentirelywhitezinnias.
‘QueenLimeRed’:abeautifulshadeofpastelscarlet.
‘Scabiosa’: pom-pom shaped tops that emulate a
scabiosa flower.Cosm (Cosmos bipinnatus and C. sulphureus)
Cosmos brings the feeling of the wild to a garden. They
are a low-maintenance annual fl ower that you can leave
to grow wild, or cut stems often to promote bushing out
and taller growth.
They are super easy to grow, and a great starter fl ower.
They have feathery stems and come in shades of whites,
maroons, yellows, pinks, reds and oranges. If you have
room, you can have a fi eld of cosmos just for fun, or a
big clump in a sunny border – butterfl ies and benefi cial
insects will love you for it.
Cosmos tolerate drier climates, don’t require much
water, can grow in poor soils and are super hardy. Plants
range from 0.5m to 2m tall and work well in a variety of
ways from garden borders to large-scale plantings.Growing notes
Cosmos are best planted directly from seed as they are
too delicate to transplant. You can simply scatter the
seeds, cover with soil and water in. They love full sun
but are not frost tolerant.
They are good self-seeders and in warmer climates
they can grow virtually perennially if left to do their
thing. Ensure you remove dead fl owers to prolong the
fl owering season. If you forget to do this, cut plants
back by about a third and they will burst with new life!
Space plants closely to support each other – around
30cm apart.Inset: Zinnia ‘Queen
Lime Red’.
Right: Cosmos is a
super hardy annual.PHOTOS: OPENER: LENTIL PURBRICK. INSET AND TOP RIGHT: ALAMY.