Here it is, the bedding zinnia of our dreams. The Zahara series introduced in 2009 immediately became famous for its resistance to mildew and leaf spot, its nonstop blooms, and its larger flower size. One of its colors, the lovely Starlight Rose, won a 2010 AAS award. And now this balanced mix, Zahara® Mix Zinnia of all the bright Zahara colors has come to charm us in the annual bed.
Zahara® Mix Zinnia blooms are fully 2½ inches wide, and there's more of themthey pop up all over super-compact plants, drawing bees and butterflies into the garden and absolutely wowing those hot, dry beds and water-starved containers. Single-flowered, they arise in brilliant shades of red, rose, pink, orange, yellow, and white.
Renowned for its ability to withstand heat, humidity, drought, and just about anything else, Zahara is the first bedding zinnia that can truly claim to be disease resistant. Mildew is a traditional enemy of the zinnia, but Zahara's got it licked. (Or should we say "dried".) Luckily, Zahara® Mix Zinnia is also very long-blooming, be prepared to continue well into autumn as long as the hot weather holds. What a joy.
Zahara® Mix Zinnia is the annual you'll want along that baking-hot driveway or cement path, crowding against the house (whose walls reflect heat), and beautifying the patio (which never gets watered often enough). Just 12 to 18 inches high and wide, it can be planted a bit more closely than other bedding zinnias, again thanks to the mildew resistance. No need to worry about the foliage "touching".
Direct sow the Zahara® Mix Zinnia Seeds when the soil has already warmed and spring is well underway. This plant will flower within 5 to 6 weeks of sowing. But if you want to get an earlier start, or if that hot April turns into a chilly May, no fearZahara® Mix Zinnia will grow vigorously all the same, and simply wait for the warm weather before blooming. Why can't all plants be this cooperative?
