Zinnias: A Wonderful Flower for the Vegetable Garden

Even growers who focus primarily on crop plants should consider growing zinnias. And, that’s before we get into noting that there is something to be said for simply appreciating the loveliness of extensive flower blooms in the garden.

Zinnias are annual plants with stunning flowers that last for weeks. They are very easy to grow from seed when planted directly into the ground, so they are an inexpensive garden addition, a pack of seeds costing around three dollars. The flowers can vary from white to green to yellow… orange, red, purple, and several shades in between.

The blooms are in the “daisy” family (Asteraceae) with a close relationship to sunflowers (Helianthodae). They are native to the grasslands of North America and can grow in every state. And, they have also been grown in outer space.

But, the real reason(s) for growing them is that they are such useful plants.

Cut Flowers

Whether you are a market gardener or a home hobbyist, cut flowers are an exciting addition to any garden. They can add a vibrant array out in the field, and they can do the same on a kitchen table, coffee table, or bathroom counter. Flowers can also be a marketable product to sell.

Zinnias make fantastic cut flowers. They have long stems well-suited for vases, jars, or jugs. They come in an assortment of colors. And, perhaps the best part, the more they are harvested the more flowers they produce.

Edible

Anytime a plant can provide some food, that’s a step in the right direction. Though most of us have likely not eaten a zinnia, the flowers are edible, and the petals can be sprinkled onto salads and other dishes to provide some interesting color.

Truth be known, zinnias are not necessarily the tastiest of specimens. They are best described as being on the bitter side. But, a few petals mixed into a salad or bowl of pasta provides a flash of pizzazz and aren’t so strong as to distract from the flavor of the dish.

Pollinator Attractors

Like most flowers, zinnias are great for attracting pollinators, with a particular appeal to butterflies and hummingbirds (go for the red zinnias). When pollinators are in the garden, other plants, such as those tomatoes and squashes and beans and so on, benefit as well.

In this way, they are highly regarded as companion plants for vegetables. The zinnias will help to coax hungry pollinators into the plot, and the natural progression of things – successful crops – happens from there.

Pest Deterrents

Often the same plants that attract pollinators will help with deterring or distracting certain pests. Zinnias act as a decoy for destructive insects like Japanese beetles, and they are a favorite of predatory insects like ladybugs, which eat aphids, mites, and other troublesome insects.

Any plant that can play a useful role in pest control is a plus when gardening organically. Marigolds and nasturtium, each of which also have edible flowers, perform similar services in the garden: distraction and deterrence.

Self-Seeding

Though zinnias are annuals plants, meaning that they live and die in one growing season, they are also prolific self-seeders. If growers leave those last few flowers to dry on the plant, they’ll create seeds to grow next year’s crops of zinnias.

Plants that are good at self-seeding are almost as good of an investment as perennial plants in that they’ll just grow anew again and again with no further cost to get them. However, like perennials, if self-seeding your zinnias is something you’d like to do, it’s a good idea to put them where you want them to be for years to come.

Beauty

Plain and simple, beauty in the garden, even the vegetable garden, is a worthwhile thing. Beautiful flowers are a pleasure, which is why we grow them, buy them, and give them all around the world.

Having zinnias in the garden puts us in a better mood, attracting us into the growing space to check them out. And, on that note, since we are in the garden, we might check out other plants, too. As the old adage goes: The best fertilizer is the gardener’s shadow.

So, there we have it. Zinnias are a fun flower to grow with all kinds of useful components, including their beautiful blooms. Why wouldn’t we include them in the garden?

Related Content:

• 15 Reasons Nasturtium Needs to Be in Your Garden
• A Guide to Sustainably Growing Your Own Cut Flowers
• 7 Wonderful Edible Flowers to Grow in Your Garden

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