Zinnia elegans. Peppermint Stick Mixture Zinnia Seeds.
Non-GMO, open-pollinated, annual. Approximately 50 Seeds, 55-70 Days to maturity.
Planting Instructions
Zinnias can be started indoors from seed, but in our experience they do better directly sown in soil that has reached at least 70 degrees. Cover the seeds lightly and sprinkle with an inch of water being careful not to wash away the seed. Keep damp but not wet. Mature plants like full sun, except in areas with extreme heat, where they will need afternoon shade. They also do very well in containers.
Care
Zinnia’s don’t like wet feet, but will do well in drought situations. In extreme drought they may require occasional watering. In zones 8 and above they can be sown in Autumn for winter blooms. Peppermint Stick seeds will bloom all summer long with 2” blooms and will stand on 2-3 foot stalks. They don’t like frost and will often die out at the very first frost of the season. They readily reseed themselves each year and have great deer resistance. They can be prone to aphids and powdery mildew but if given enough space for good air flow you can put them anywhere in your garden for a blast of color.
History
The zinnia has been around for a very long time and now has a wealth of colors and forms. Here in America during the early 1900’s, a plant breeder named Luther Burbank spent many years developing incredible zinnias. When he died a company called Stark Brothers acquired the rights to his plants. A famous African American artist, Clementine Hunter, who began her artistic career at the age of 52, painted the zinnia often and her artwork was displayed in a Museum in New Orleans, making her the first African American to achieve a solo art exhibition in the United States.
A favorite of gardeners worldwide, zinnias are now found in gardens around the globe.
My thanks to Advolly Richmond and her book A Short History of Flowers for much of the above history.
