Zinnia Forecast Mix - seeds

Zinnia 'Forecast Mix' is a very prolific variety with an attractive mix of colours. Its single or double flowers come in shades of purple, pink, orange, salmon, yellow, mauve, and cream. The petals surround a deep red centre surrounded by bright yellow stamens. This durable and easy-to-grow, very bright annual grows quickly and flowers for a long time from summer to early autumn. It can be planted with other equally undemanding flowering plants, in borders, and flower beds and then used for cutting.

Zinnia elegans is a robust annual belonging to the Asteraceae family, native to Mexico, and has given rise to numerous cultivars. 'Forecast Mix' forms an upright and branched clump, reaching an average width of 30 cm (12in) and a height of 80 cm (32in). Its stems are hollow and relatively brittle, covered with rough and downy lanceolate to elliptical, medium-green leaves. Flowering occurs from June-July to September-October, and it is nectar-rich. The flowers appear in the axils of the leaves, forming beautiful 7 cm (3in) wide heads with thin, overlapping ligules surrounding a rounded red centre from which golden yellow stamens emerge. Many seeds follow the flowers and spontaneously reseed in light soils.

Zinnias are appreciated for their ease of cultivation, and rightly so. They also show great resilience in conditions where other plants struggle. Zinnias thrive in the sun and withstand high temperatures, as long as they are given some water. They do best in neutral, rich, well-drained soil, but can also tolerate ordinary garden soil. Plant them in ornamental gardens, borders, or flower beds, and the vegetable garden. Combine zinnias with informal, naturally charming plants such as sages, perennial geraniums and coreopsis. Clumps of ornamental grasses with their spikes mingling with zinnia flowers create a beautiful display. They can also be sown in pots to decorate the terrace in summer. This nectar-rich plant will delight bees and butterflies.