So I woke up this morning and did my usual things. Cut up some fresh fruit…cantaloupe today, since it is in season here in Ontario. Ground the coffee beans (I hate that sound, but the coffee is just so much better this way). I don’t always make the coffee. Mick and I share that task. Depends who gets on their feet first generally. We talk a bit, but not too much - not before the caffeine kicks in and then we both check our messages and social media feeds and check out what Heather Hiscox is wearing on the CBC morning news - we always have an opinion - yes, I said “we”. It may seem out of character for my totally unfashionable guy (he thinks Pierre Cardin is still in vogue) to have anything at all to say about the colour or style of her outfit du jour, but he is full of surprises, isn’t he? (and when the hell is she coming back from summer vacation?)
There was one thing about this morning though that was completely out of the ordinary and I’m not talking about getting Wordle in two guesses or Quordle under six. Oh no folks, I’m talking about some different numbers. I had over 1.000 notifications on a photo I posted on Facebook yesterday on my Zinnia Flowers Community page. (not a big number for some but a huge one for me) WTF? Likes, loves, wows and comments from people (mostly women) from all over the world - fellow Zinnia lovers. My new tribe was digging my photo of a floral arrangement I made for my mother. It was mostly Zinnias with a few other stems of this and that thrown in for contrast - well, you can see for yourself above. White Snapdragons in the centre with a few sprigs of Lavender to give it some scent and some Salvia. I will admit, I thought it turned out quite pretty but this wasn’t my first rodeo if you know what I mean. Having made many floral arrangements over the years, it felt as though I had hit the motherlode with this one. Staging my flowers is something I love to do as well, and this strategic spot in front of the the mirror in the guest bedroom worked a treat. One woman said she “loved everything about this photo”. Another said, “Breathtaking!”. One gal said, “wish I lived closer”. Not sure what she meant by that. Did she think I might make her one too? Or was she planning to snatch it from me as I was packing it into the back of the car? In any case, it was beyond flattering to hear all the compliments. I am still trying to thank each person for their comments. Is this what famous people do? It must take them hours, days and weeks sometimes to personally thank their fans. I suppose they get their publicity staff to take care of that. I have had the occasional author respond to my comments on Instagram or Meta and it does impress me when it happens. Both Elizabeth Gilbert and Glennon Doyle have replied to my comments. I like to believe they were genuine but even if they just respond to a handful each day to create fan loyalty, all I can say is - it works. I digress. Back to my Zinnia tribe. The happiest, sunniest, posy-positive flower lovers you’ve ever met. Scrolling through the daily posts is like going on a joy-ride in a 1965 Flower Power Kombi and everyone is high…on life. The ultimate flower porn. I can’t stop looking some days. I don’t even remember now how I came across the group. I probably mentioned the word Zinnia one day in a post of my own and before I knew it Zuckerberg turned my algorithm dial to F for Floral faster than an FTD delivery truck on Mother’s Day. This group is so cheerful, inviting and inclusive they didn’t even ask me to prove I grew Zinnias, liked Zinnias or if I was a robot. Makes me wonder if there are any imposters amongst their 56K members. Sneaky sunflower fans looking to switch things up or Dodgy Daisy pickers hankering for some brighter colours. I did have one gal ask me what the other flowers in my arrangement were besides Zinnias as though she was giving me a passive aggressive jab pointing out I had veered away from 100 per cent Zinnia loyalty. Or, maybe she just doesn’t recognize Snapdragons or has Zero tolerance for intruders. I’ll never know. One comment made me a bit sad. She said, “I hope my daughter makes one of these for me.” “Awwww,” I cried to myself, then immediately wanted to make her feel better or loved or somehow track down her daughter and suggest it might be time to pay some attention to mommy dearest, but instead I thanked her and said maybe she could share my post with her and plant the seed.(Zinnia seed of course.) Hope it worked. My Zinnia obsession is fairly new. I planted them for the first time in 2018. I had read that they were deer resistant. That is resistant, not deer proof. In June this year, for the first time, I did have a bit of trouble with the deer biting off the buds on my Big Benary’s Giant plants. I had hoped I wouldn’t have to erect deer netting around my Zinnia Boats but after a few attacks from Bambi’s mom and dad, I caved and fenced them in - a buzz kill for them, but my Giant Zinnias are finally blooming now after their long recovery period. It is one of the things I love about them - they are so resilient. Fighters. Bite their head off and they come back sporting several more. And don’t get me started on the colours! Picture the Batman fight scenes. Instead of POW! BAM! SMACK!, these babies punch colours - PINK! ORANGE! YELLOW! RED! Their vibrant hues make loud statements and the colour combos are many and varied. They were originally grown in the southwest and Mexico and Central America where they were not well-loved, considered garish and loud by the Aztecs. A German master botanist named Johann Zinn (hence the name) brought seeds back to Europe in the early 1700’s and they were embraced…and why not? These flowers are easy to grow, make great cut flowers and can take the heat. If you want to attract bees and butterflies, these things are da bomb! The only drawback can be powdery mildew if they get too wet for too long. But even then, the flowers continue to blossom. They don’t let a bit of mould stop them from shining. I wish now I would have planted some in Australia - the perfect climate for them as long as the rains don’t hang around too long. Maybe some of my peeps down under can try some and let me know how it goes or grows. (Lyn, Leigh, Lexie, Lori…I’m talkin to you!). In the meantime, I am having my 15 minutes of fame, Andy. Well, me… and my Zinnias.
4 Comments
Greenthumb
8/24/2022 01:43:46 pm
I think I'll make 2023 the "Year of Zinnias" for me.....
Reply
Deb
8/24/2022 02:12:38 pm
You won't regret it!
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Carla Sandrin
9/2/2022 08:53:03 am
I was at a pick-your-own flower farm yesterday and created two beautiful bouquets filled with zinnias - one for me and one for my mother. I agree, they are spectacular!
Reply
Leigh
9/10/2022 05:30:11 pm
When I return to Queensland from Victoria I definitely will be planting some.
Reply
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DEBunked.I see nature as a metaphor for life. Please join me on this journey down the garden path as I explore life through story - a shovel in one hand and a camera in the other. Archives
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