Many homeowners struggle to find flowers, which are easy to grow in their yards. I accidentally discovered that zinnia seeds sold at every supermarket for a few dollars are the best solution for lawn and garden decorating. Usually, the packs of zinnias come in different colors: orange, pale or bright pink, and yellow. Zinnias are described as “stars and daisies, dahlias and spiders, buttons and domes, and quill-leaf cactus.”

Zinnias are annuals and native to the grasslands of North and South America. The flower has arrowhead-like blooms and long stems, which grow from six to 14 inches, depending on its variety. That is why zinnias make a good-cut flower and stand in a vase firmly. The flowers can be singles, or semi-doubles and doubles.

The remarkable part about zinnias is that they rapidly grow from seeds to full bloom, and the plant requires low maintenance. Zinnias can shade out weeds. They do not need much fertilization or mulching.

Chicagobotanic.org informs that zinnias tolerate heat and drought well; they like a lot of sun. It seems that it is great news for Oklahoma, where summer temperatures rise over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. However, in my garden, my relative and I noticed that the zinnia flowerbed became almost completely dry after about two weeks without rain even though we watered the roots of the flower regularly. We thought that the zinnia flowerbed could not be revived. But, miraculously, a two-day rain, which brought about three inches of water, restored the bed to almost full bloom. Does it mean that zinnias should be better planted in Oklahoma in a shaded area? We will experiment with that next year and let you know.

Besides the high zinnia’s tolerance to heat and colorful blooms, another reason to plant it is that zinnias attract hummingbirds and butterflies because of their nectar. Zinnia is so popular among those species that they sometimes fight for the spots on the flowerbed.