The 1 Flower Seed You Can Scatter in April and Ignore – For Bold, Long-Lasting Blooms from Summer to Fall
Zinnias are low-effort, fast-growing annuals that anyone can grow
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Spring in the garden is both exciting and overwhelming. There's so much to get done in the coming weeks, which is why I'm opting for easy tricks that will give me quick results and lots of seasonal color. This includes scattering the easiest flower seeds I grew last year: zinnias. I just about neglected them after sowing and still enjoyed bright continuous blooms from summer-fall.
As a beginner flower grower last year, I grew zinnias without much thought. I just took some zinnia seeds (this $7.99 colorful mix of Amazon zinnia seeds is selling fast at the moment), scattered them over a prepared raised bed, lightly covered them, and soon enjoyed their vibrant blooms for months on end. In fact, April is a great time to scatter zinnia seeds and forget about them, providing them plenty of time to germinate and sprout for early summer blooms, delivering flowers within just 8-12 weeks.
I'm yet to purchase my zinnia seeds for this year, but the Amazon ones have caught my eye as a reliable, high-quality choice because customers who have tried them out share, '[the] seeds germinated quick and I had sprouts 72 hours after planting [and] the first small flower bloomed 37 days after planting.'
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This 1-ounce pack of zinnia seeds has roughly 3,000 seeds to plant. It includes 5 varieties: pink, orange, yellow, white, and purple. The germination rate of the seeds have been tested to ensure successful results. The package is also resealable for safe storage, keeping seeds viable for longer.
How to Scatter Zinnia Seeds
Zinnias come in a wide range of colors, from pinks and reds, to yellows and oranges
It's true, you really can scatter zinnia seeds and forget about them. But, only if have the right conditions in place.
Zinnias are fast-growing flowering annuals across USDA zones 2-11, they need plenty of drainage, and should be located somewhere sunny. I had success with them in a warm raised bed, which offers lots of drainage and is full of nutrient-rich compost.
You can scatter zinnia seeds (also available by variety on Burpee) over your desired growing area in mid-late spring (after the risk of frost has passed), or for a more uniform look, sow them in a line at least six inches apart. You should then cover them with a light layer of compost and water.
I then left them alone (just watering my raised bed after dry spells) and before I knew it, I spotted zinnia seedlings appear.
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Optionally, when they do begin growing you can pinch out zinnias and deadhead zinnias regularly. For me, the latter took just seconds at a time and extended their display right through to fall with continuous blooms.
I actually grew my zinnias in a cut flower garden patch, as they look wonderful in floral arrangements (especially when you use a colorful mix of zinnias, like these seeds from Amazon). As cut-and-come-again flowers, you can harvest them (using these bypass pruning shears from Amazon) to keep zinnias blooming all through the summer months.
An added bonus is that zinnias are great plants for pollinators. They'll attract a whole host of beneficial insects, so it can be useful to scatter them next to your kitchen garden to encourage pollinator presence.
Shoppers' Results with the Amazon Seeds
Zinnias can grow to impressive heights, often reaching 3-4ft tall
The Amazon zinnia seeds are selling fast with 8K+ being purchased in the last month. With a 4.8-star rating, it seems those who have planted them have had excellent results.
'The delight of my summer. Saved thousands of seeds to grow again this summer,' one reviewer writes.
You get one ounce of seeds with five different types of zinnias in this packet, including pink, orange, yellow, purple, and white. As the above shopper notes, you can then save zinnia seeds to replant next year, so you get even more for your money.
'[They] bloomed for months and I was able to gift many flower arrangements,' another five-star reviewer writes.
'I just throw the seeds around without carefully placing or spacing them,' someone else describes. 'The plants grown from seed seem much stronger and better established [than bought plants],' they add.'
This is no surprise as the listing describes: 'We meticulously test the germination rates of our seeds to ensure that a high proportion of the seeds you plant will successfully sprout and grow.'
Plus, the package is resealable so you can safely store the seeds you don't use this year.
So, if you're on the hunt for a low-effort, fast flower to grow, these zinnia seeds are less than $8 and have proven to be high-quality. Just take care to avoid these plants to never grow next to zinnias, otherwise it could hinder your success.
Shop Your Flower Growing Kit
Once you get your zinnia seeds going, you can also eventually propagate zinnias from cuttings to double your plants quickly.
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Tenielle is a Gardens Content Editor at Homes & Gardens. She holds a qualification in MA Magazine Journalism and has over six years of journalistic experience. Before coming to Homes & Gardens, Tenielle was in the editorial department at the Royal Horticultural Society and worked on The Garden magazine. As our in-house houseplant expert, Tenielle writes on a range of solutions to houseplant problems, as well as other 'how to' guides, inspiring garden projects, and the latest gardening news. When she isn't writing, Tenielle can be found propagating her ever-growing collection of indoor plants, helping others overcome common houseplant pests and diseases, volunteering at a local gardening club, and attending gardening workshops, like a composting masterclass.