It's no secret that zinnias are my favorite summer flower. They're easy to grow, thrive in the summer heat, come in an endless array of colors, shapes, and sizes, make long-lasting bouquets, and are magnets for bees and butterflies. What's not to love?

Every winter I happily pore over seed catalogs, choosing my old favorites and a few new varieties to try. In late winter I start the seeds in the greenhouse and by early spring they're ready to be transplanted into the garden. You can skip the greenhouse part altogether and scatter the seeds directly in the soil--they don't require pampering in the least. Then comes the reward. By mid-summer, the border is absolutely bursting with cheerful blooms, and I can't imagine the garden without them.

Zinnia breeders have been doing some amazing work, stabilizing colors, improving disease resistance, and creating varieties that are more beautiful than ever. They just keep getting better and better!

The Queen Lime Series (now known as Queeny Lime) was introduced about ten years ago and completely changed the zinnia world with its unusual, muted colors of burgundy blush and lime. Since then, breeders have continued pushing the boundaries. Small specialty breeders like Floret and Dawn Creek—both of whom I've purchased from before and love supporting—have created stunning new varieties in softer, more subtle pastel shades.

Agave

I love the glowing lavender center.

Agave

Queen Lime Red

Shasta Daisies

This is a dahlia that grows in the zinnia bed.

Looks like an old fashioned zinnia that reminds me of an Oklahoma or State Fair except for the glowing center.

I cannot get over how the colors of Aurora glow from inside!

Ballerina

Aurora

An Aurora, layered with colors.

A Queen Lime.

Another Queen Lime.

Nasturtium.

The colors just glow!

Ballerina with just a whisper of pink.

Pink dahlias in the veg garden.

dahlia

The vegetable garden at the end of the day when it's shaded by my neighbor's giant redwoods.

Haha, I was taking closeups of the flowers and when I turned, look who was right at my side, ready for his close up!

More sauce!

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