Gardeners have double vision, I think. You’ve got one view towards what’s happening in the here and now. But you’ve also got a picture in your mind’s eye of what will be happening months from now and even into the next season. One way we play out this balancing act is when we plant now for a pay out later in summer. If I had to choose one annual that’s easy and fun to deal with in spring and repays you with so much gorgeousness in summer through to the first hard frost it’s zinnias.

Hot pink, orange and red zinnias growing in the gardens at Langdon Hall, Ontario.

Easy and fun in the spring

Zinnias don’t like to be transferred so it’s best to grow them from seed sown straight into your garden. Make it even easier on yourself by only sowing a portion of your seeds in one go. Come back a week later and plant some more and then some more a week after that. What sounds like a very lazy thing to do actually gains you wave after wave of flowers for a much longer period of time than you’d get if you sowed all your seeds all at once

So many choices

Here’s the fun part. Zinnias come in more styles than Kim Kardashian has handbags. There are over 20 zinnia species and hundreds of different cultivars. You can stick to one type or mix and match. It’s up to you.

There are three distinct flower petal patterns.

SINGLE-FLOWERED: Flowers have a single row of petals and a clearly visible centre.

SEMIDOUBLE-FLOWERED: Several rows of petals (much like the doubleflowered, see below) but with a clearly distinct centre.

DOUBLE-FLOWERED: Masses of petals in many rows and no distinct centre.

And they come in a variety of shapes. They include stars, daisies, dahlias, spiders, buttons, domes and quill-leaf cactus shapes.

Then there are all those colours to choose from: Bright reds, oranges, both hot and pastel pinks, yellows, purples, even eye-catching greens.

And, if that wasn’t enough choice, they come in a variety of heights. Tall varieties can grow over three feet in height and shorter varieties average around a foot to 16 inches although the Thumbelina Dwarf zinnia comes up to an adorable 6 inches.

The pay-off in summer and fall

• Zinnia stems are sturdy. They make excellent cut flowers.
• The more you cut, the more flowers you get. Win, win.
• They’re terrific pollinator attractors. Bees, beneficial insects and hummingbirds love them.
• They’re edible. Sprinkle petals in a salad, atop cakes and desserts or float a few in a cocktail for a touch of eyeball-searing colour.
• They have a reputation for being a very easy care plant.

From seed to full bloom

Here are the the particulars for growing zinnias.

• Plant after last frost in spring.
• Plant in full sun.
• Choose a spot with good air circulation to avoid powdery mildew.
• Choose medium, well-draining soil.

Vegetables and edible flowers, including bright red and pink zinnias, in the gardens at Langdon Hall, Ontario.

What to plant zinnias with for maximum impact

Of course, a huge bed of zinnias all on their own will look fantastic regardless but planting them with other, more unexpected choices and beneficial companion plants can take your garden into over-the-top wonderfulness.

PLANT ALONGSIDE TOMATOES: Yes, zinnias attract pollinators which is essential for a healthy vegetable garden but zinnias have a knack for deterring pests, too, and reportedly, they do particularly well at keeping tomato worms at bay.

MIX WITH COSMOS: When you want an explosion of colour and texture but you also want this explosion to happen with some height, randomly plant zinnias and cosmos together. They both share the same preferences for soil and sun and they share the same bloom time. The feathery stems and leaves of cosmos will lend a bit of lightness amidst the sturdier zinnia stems, the zinnias will lend support to the cosmos and all together, the flowers will collectively attract pollinators and gobsmacked onlookers.

SPRINKLE WITH DILL: Another go-big-or-go-home option is equally tall growing dill. The difference is that dill can add even more airiness to your mix with its delicate umbels of tiny blooms and its single colour – a bright primary yellow – will create a more calming, if no less bright, effect overall.

FRONT WITH SALVIA: Tall zinnias can look a little leggy at the front of a bed so add a ‘skirt’ of salvia which grows to just the right height and spreads with just the right amount of bushiness to hide the zinnias’ stems and let their flowers be the crowning glory. Both salvia and zinnias share the same preferences and bloom times.