You may remember my attempt to create an abundance of wildflowers in the front flowerbeds, and how that attempt did not work out quite as anticipated. It was pretty, but a little more “wilderness” than “wildflower,” ha. This spring, after smothering the clover and grasses that grew over winter, I decided to go back to what worked for me before: zinnias.

After a quick trip to Tractor Supply for a couple bulk {2-pound} bags of seeds, I scattered and watered and watched sprouts appear. But they were a little patchier than I expected, and rather than have weeds try to take over the empty spots, we went back to Tractor Supply and grabbed another couple bags. Y’all, I ended up spreading 8 pounds of zinnia seeds between the two flowerbeds. But it worked!

Pictures hardly capture how dense these zinnias have grown. Do you notice the sunflowers in the back? I can’t wait for them to bloom – I did not expect them to get that tall!

As you can see, I’ve got a glorious abundance of colors and blooms – they’ve grown and filled in beautifully, and these are quite possibly the happiest and healthiest zinnias I’ve ever seen. The stalks are super sturdy, and the leaves have been huge. Once the blooms started coming in, I’ve basically been able to cut a 5-gallon bucket’s worth every week – keeping my table dressed, as well as the tables of family and even the church. With still more left to share with the birds, ha.

Not only do the hummingbirds stop by for a quick nectar snack, but the goldfinch absolutely adore the seeds: they will perch on the blooms and pull petals out until nothing is left. The pollinators are also quite thankful for my abundance of blooms. {Don’t forget you can click on smaller images to see them full-size}.

My flower-loving heart loves the variety of colors and blooms, and on a practical note I’m very glad zinnias are so tolerant of heat and dry weather. I’ve been watering them deeply {I baby them, I admit, ha}, but there’s only so much a girl can do with a hose when it’s so very hot. After a couple years’ experimentation, I think it’s safe to say that zinnias pack the most bang for the buck when it comes to flower coverage + cheery color.

What summer flowers do you have growing? Or wish you were growing?