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Old August 8, 2019   #91
SpookyShoe
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So beautiful. And a haven for bees and butterflies.
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Old August 10, 2019   #92
JRinPA
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There were 20 butterflies in our front bed last week. I counted 8 at once yesterday. It is about a 2'x7' I guess, zinnias around the perimeter every few inches. I'll try to remember to take a pic while they are in bloom. Mostly tiger swallowtails and black swallowtails. I have parsnips and carrots in the back yard with lots of caterpillars. I want to get some milkweed going for monarchs.



Last year in that bed there was a fight over a big red flower. There was a butterfly at it, but it got chased off by a big bumblebee. Then a hummingbird took it over. The bee came back and dove in, so the hummingbird stalked it and flushed it out. They jousted for a bit. Can't remember who won, but it was so funny because there were at least 100 other zinnias blooming at the time.
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Old August 10, 2019   #93
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Yes! Post pictures of bees and butterflies!
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Old August 10, 2019   #94
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I took some this morning. No bees that I saw, bunch of butterflies though.
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Old August 11, 2019   #95
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Gorgeous!!!!!
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Old August 11, 2019   #96
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Beautiful, JR! Both flowers and butterflies! Do you know what that last butterfly down the page is? I was looking in the Pennsylvania portion of a bug site I found but couldn't find what you have. Interesting!

https://www.insectidentification.org...e=Pennsylvania

Edited to say I think I found it... a Painted Lady"
https://www.insectidentification.org...Lady-Butterfly

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Old August 11, 2019   #97
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Yep, painted lady for sure. The difference in the bodies are amazing. I was hoping to get a pic of a black swallowtail, and there was at least one there, but I was trying frame a pic and I'm afraid I scared off most of the butterflies. I think there is another black butterfly type around too.



According to that page the swallowtails are Canadian? I did not know that. Their swallowtails were not defined strongly and I didn't see any blue on the ones that stuck around. I thought they looked kind of lemony pale, moreso than some.
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Old August 13, 2019   #98
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lemony pale one could be Western Tiger Swallowtail ....... I've heard that if attacked they can drop their swallowtail portion to escape ......
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Old August 15, 2019   #99
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I'm in zone 3/4 and I typically start my zinnias indoors when I do my tomatoes - end of April. Zinnia's do well here but can be subject to powdery mildew as others have stated. California Giants and Purple Prince my favorite varieties.



This photo is of my cuttings for the farmers market. The pink and yellow flowers are a variety of seed that was given to me called cactus zinnia. They're not my favorite but certainly unique!
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Old August 15, 2019   #100
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Great pic
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Old August 15, 2019   #101
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Default Sowed seeds

I was very inspired by all the cut flowers and zinnia gardens I saw on this thread. So a few days ago I sowed three areas with zinnia seeds in soil that in Spring is usually occupied by tomato plants. I am not a big fan of sowing seeds, LOL. The seed packets stated that I could sow seeds in my zone 9 area at this time of year. I put tiny fences around the areas to try to keep the dog from eating the seedlings. In a few days the seedlings emerged and I'm anxious to see how things will look in a couple of months.
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Old August 15, 2019   #102
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Zinnias come up quick here, but not until the weather is hot enough. For example, this year they went out mid May, but didn't come up for two weeks. After they emerged, the next sown seed came up in three days.

I tried starting some inside a few years back but the seed was in poor shape to begin with. The few that came up and were transplanted were quickly matched by the direct sown. I haven't bothered since. Honestly I'm not much for flowers - they don't taste that great - but zinnias are pretty nice when they come in.
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Old September 16, 2019   #103
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The season is almost over for us, but I thought I'd upload a picture of some zinnias in one of my beds before they get frosted. These are a mix of Zahara & Profusion, both of which are pretty good against mildew, a requirement since we get such cold nights here.
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Old September 16, 2019   #104
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Very nice. Ours have powdery mildew now...be gone soon I guess.

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Old September 16, 2019   #105
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kameronth View Post
I'm in zone 3/4 and I typically start my zinnias indoors when I do my tomatoes - end of April. Zinnia's do well here but can be subject to powdery mildew as others have stated. California Giants and Purple Prince my favorite varieties.



This photo is of my cuttings for the farmers market. The pink and yellow flowers are a variety of seed that was given to me called cactus zinnia. They're not my favorite but certainly unique!
Gorgeous. I also grew some cactus flowered giants this year and learned that they do not feed the bees as well as those that form a cone in the middle.

I the evenings in July I would find bees asleep on them sometimes tucked in between petals.



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