Quotable Sunday 08/19/2012
Zinnias
I champion the lowly, the under appreciated, the non flashy things in the world. I especially champion the simple flowers in the garden, the pansy( what a negative name), the petunia( some of the first flowers I grew as a little girl) and the zinnia. The overlooked flowers in the world of cut flowers. The workhorse flowers of the hot part of the summer season. Oh sure, we grow the beautiful lilies and dahlias, the breathtaking mini callas and some pretty nice sunflowers but the zinnias hangs in there when the summer gets a bit rough. The lilies and callas need to sit in the shade(oh, I am so very warm), the dahlias want the hot winds to go away and the sunflowers can't seem to put up with the deer munching them(don't blame them) but the workhorse zinnia keeps plugging along. Turn up the heat, I can take it.... plant me where the deer roam, I will turn them away....just keep my feet watered and I will bloom for you.
You want big blooms...I can do that!
You want lots of different colors...I got that for you!
You want a smaller bloom for special vases.... We have those!
How about tiny little blooms, that sweet little girls go for.... We are here for you!
You need us to be more wild, more colorful... How about these blooms.
Just choose us, cut us for your vase, come back again and we will keep blooming for you.
Just put us in a vase of clean fresh water and enjoy us, no need to be fancy...we are not the fancy type. But we will keep blooming for you the more you pick us.
So champion the under appreciated zinnia, the perfect little flower for a posy, a mason jar or something more grand. They will perform....they just want to be picked.
Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be Centerfield.
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be Centerfield.
-John Fogerty-
You do have beautiful zinnias. Hope it has cooled off a little for you.
ReplyDeleteAnd they are the biggest butterfly magnet in my garden. The goldfinches love to pick of the petals, presumably to get at the seeds.
ReplyDelete-Ray
I was going to say how beeee-u-ti-ful your zinnias were on the flowers in the house post, then I saw them in your market post and was going to tell you there...then I saw this post and decided this is where I needed to say how beautiful, amazing, magical, and friendly your zinnias are! (Would it be overkill in all three?) I just love zinnias and their sweet faces. Denise, yours are just the prettiest! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Becca! I am a big time lover of zinnias, I think they get overshadowed by the dahlias buddies. But they work harder and last longer so they are winners in my book. The little pink vase with the pink zinnias in the flower in house post is still looking fresh today. What's not to love!
DeleteI just love this! I've never tried growing zinnias - but they look like alot of bright happy fun!
ReplyDeleteIf you have fairly warm summers, zinnias are easy to grow and the more you cut the more they produce.
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