Planting prolific, colourful zinnias

A superlative annual for colour lovers, zinnias are hard to beat for their rich reds, sunny yellows or pure pinks.

Zinnias hail from Mexico, so they have what it takes to survive the hottest summer weather.

• Available in a huge range of colours and types, some zinnia blossoms are flat daisies, while others are more formal pom-poms.
• Tall varieties are great for cutting, while compact dwarf hybrids make wonderful, sun-tolerant edging plants.

Zinnias will respond enthusiastically to cutting.

• Deadheading the fading flowers — and cutting some fresh ones for arrangements — will keep the plants amazingly prolific.

When gathering zinnias to show off indoors, choose blossoms that have just opened and cut them early in the day. Before putting them in a vase, strip off the lower leaves, which can quickly deteriorate.

• Bedding plants are widely available, but as long as the soil is warm, zinnias are easy to grow from seed sown directly in the garden.
• And because the seedlings transplant so easily, you can also sow seeds in your vegetable garden and move them to flowerbeds when they're about 10 centimetres tall.

Many compact hybrids bloom so heavily that they make a fantastic summer hedge.

• If you've wondered what a bright ribbon of red or hot pink might look like alongside your front walkway or driveway, try your plan with zinnias.

• Outmanoeuvre mildew by growing disease-resistant varieties and replacing old plants with younger, more vigorous ones.

Powdery mildew on zinnias is most common on plants that are nearly exhausted from a long season of bloom.

• Compact hybrid zinnias (Zinnia elegans) for edging or hedging include several popular series, such as the award-winning 'Profusion' and tried-and- true 'Dreamland' series. For cutting, look for tall-timbered 'Benary's Giant', 'Oklahoma', or the heirloom strain simply called 'Cut and Come Again'.
• Narrow-leafed zinnias (Z. angustifolia) have smaller flowers, and these heat-resistant, fine-textured plants are ideal for edging beds that bake in hot sun. Colours include white, orange and yellow.
• Mexican zinnias (Z. haageana) feature petals that are orange to mahogany and tipped with yellow. The colour patterns often vary from one blossom to the next, so these are great flowers if you like surprises.