Zinnias

Zinnias get their name from 18th-century German
botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn, who wrote up the
flower's first scientific description. Zinnias are native
to Mexico, where Aztecs originally dubbed these
flowers mal de ojos - hard on the eyes.

It's an apt description, since zinnias come in some
many vivid colors (except blue) that they'll brighten
up any corner of your garden, even on the cloudiest days,
and prove to be a sure-fire magnet for butterflies.

Easy to grow and drought resistant, they are second
only to sunflowers in popularity as kids' school or home
projects. They are are also the perfect cut-and-come-again flower.
The more you cut zinnias, the more they bloom!

Zinnias also make for an excellent dried flower and holds its
color and shape long after being cut.

A secret to growing success with zinnias is to provide them
with plenty of light, airy soil since they intensely dislike the
"pinched toe" effect caused by planting in hard, compacted earth.

Another common problem with zinnias may be mold or
mildew caused by too much rain or watering from above.
To prevent this from happening, simply give your plants a
gentle shake to dispel any drops that have settled on them
after watering or heavy rainfall....