Zinnias seem to be one of the two flowers that survived in my garden this year. Those darn (cute) deer ate my entire vegetable garden right down to the ground, but seem to have left me my flowers. I am assuming deer don’t like zinnias or these pretties would be gone too. Zinnias are a favorite cut flower for me. I plant them every year from seed and they have never failed me. They germinate by directly sewing the seeds into the ground and give off a colorful show every year. They also last forever after being cut, it’s very possible to get 10 days from these beauties. Maybe I should stick to planting flowers instead of vegetables but we don’t much like eating flowers with our meal.
Pretty colours! The bloody deer ate all the leaves off the tree I just planted too. Oh the trials and tribulations of living with wildlife! 🙂
Anne, they ate all the fruit from by orchard this year. I ended up tying knee high nylons to the tree and putting a half bar of irish spring soap in each. So far they have stayed away, must be they don’t like the scent and stay clear. I am going to put a new batch out before winter in hopes they stay away. They like to eat the actual tree in the winters season.
I’m so sorry to hear about your vegetables! That’s why we enclosed our garden with a fence. Lots of deer live in the woods behind us, and even with the fence, the deer ate runner green beans that were growing up the fence the first year that we gardened. Even though the deer are still there, they don’t bother anything growing on the fence now, including our zinnias!
Jane, that is on my to-do-list before next spring. Fence in the garden.
I had no idea you lost all of your veggies. That stinks! Is there any way to keep the deer out?
Yep I sure did, I guess it is one less thing to take care of. LOL If I had the energy I would sit on the porch and fire a round off every now and again to keep the deer away but I would also never get any sleep. So for now, my plan is to fence it in.
This year I have some pink and orange zinnias in my garden and I love them. But, now that Lulu has arrived, I am not sure my zinnas will survive.
Carol, my dog sprawls out in my herbs, strawberries, and flowers and they seem to spring right back. I think your zinnias will do fine:) Plus who could scold that cute face:)
Aww…too bad about your veggies! I don’t have a deer problem but I do battle the chipmunks and squirrels. Plus something made some pretty big tracks on top of one of my compost bins the other night. I’m thinking raccoon or opossum. I grew popcorn this year and I think I might have to find a way to protect it while it gets bigger.
Love zinnias! They do last a long time and they come in so many cheery colors.
Manuela, I have a friend who grows popcorn and peanuts every year. I always said I am going to try that next year and never seem to remember. I love popcorn from the garden. I am not a fan of the microwave type. I agree zinnias come in the best colors:)
I couldn’t wait until my zinnias started blooming though I don’t seem to have the big variety that I did last year. Yours are gorgeous !
This was our first year for zinnias and I’m smitten! I lined the front of our garden with them, and they have made a beautiful border. It’s the first time I’ve had a flower that I could cut and bring in the house. LOVE THEM!!
Heather, Yes they are the best cut flowers and they just keep blooming all summer long. I would recommend them to any gardener, they are easy to grow, come in the best colors, and are great for cut arrangements.
I love zinnias. I sow some seeds every year in the little area in front of our dog corral. I wonder if any of them have bloomed?
xo
Claudia
Claudia, you aren’t even home to enjoy yours. You better ask Don if they are blooming. If he is anything like my hubby he would have no idea what I was talking about. He probably wouldn’t even notice there were flowers growing. LOL
That’s what I’m planting next year because I have the same problem with darn/cute deer, I looked at my flowers out back by the pool and they had ate all my white impatients, they were in a huge pot and gorgeous:(
Rondell, the deer don’t like cosmos either as far as I can tell. They are the other survivors in my garden. It is maddening when you spend all the money and time just for the deer to eat them all.
Oh, do I know how you feel! After trying every trick in the book (and then some) we have used a combination of garden fence wire, deer netting (almost) successfully. This year’s yield is almost ridiculous as it amounts to nothing (what happen to the weather??, either too cold or too hot!) so I can tell you the deer took pity on us humans! They have (only) tried to break our 8ft fences 2 or 3 times!
Blessings,
Noelle, yes the cool temps have made the gardens around here horrible. Tomatoes aren’t ripening and it has been a terrible year for produce. I will have to try a fence for next year, and if that doesn’t work I give up. LOL
I love zinnias! I would cry if I had to deal with deer in the garden!!! Did everyone find your blog now?
xo Kris
Kris, yes I think the majority of people have made the move and found me. Thanks for the shout out over at your place:)
Wow! Dawn I cannot believe Bambi’s relatives were so rude and ate your garden. That is terrible. They must love you that you give them such beautiful treats to eat. Glad they did not eat your flowers at least you have that still.
Kris
Kris, I may have to stick to just flower gardens or move the veggie garden close to the house again. When it is by the house I don’t have the deer problem. If I ask hubby to till up a new garden he will have a cow. It is so much work and I hate to keep starting over every year.
Those are really pretty, Dawn. Those darn cute deer!
Kim, I am about to get my gun out. LOL
Zinnias are such happy flowers! I love them too! Aren’t you happy that the deer left those pretty colorful flowers alone!!! I sew seeds too. did you know that you can use the seed heads from the flowers the year before. Here is a post about it…http://www.stonegableblog.com/2012/08/happy-zinneas-cutting-care-and.html. I always try to find the biggest and prettiest flowers to save!!!
LOVE this post, Dawn!
Yvonne, thanks for the link. I will save mine this year. I planted marigolds from seed last year and threw spent plants into the field. and this year I have them coming back up. Must be they are an easy flower to reseed to. I will surely save my seeds this year:)
Dawn, the deer never eat the Zinnias until they have eaten all the stuff they really like first, at least the white tails in central Idaho. When they have eaten all the apples, pears, any tomato plants not inside the deer fence and the rancher across the road has done all his haying, they resort to the not so flavorful zinnias.
Pat, we must still have enough good eatins around here, so far they are keeping away from the zinnias. I have never had them bother my flowers in the past either so maybe Michigan deer to fancy flower eatin’.
Oh, I love them too! Mine are looking kind of puny though. Maybe I should cut them back. Think I’ll do that.
Brenda
Brenda, we only get one round of the zinnias here, if I were to cut them back I wouldn’t get any more blooms for the season. We have had such cold temps this summer that things are taking forever to bloom. My morning glories just got their first flower this week.
I just love zinnias and they are really a happy flower. Our flower beds are all filled with mulch. Next year we’ve got to get some dirt in there so I can grow some flowers! 😉 thanks for popping in to see me.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Shelia, Zinnias are so easy to grow, you should give them a try. I need to much my new flower bed it helps keep the weeding down.