Spring in Bloom

Gardening with Horticulturist Gary Bachman

As spring ushers in warmer temperatures and longer days, more people are eager to get outside and put their green thumbs to work. Whether a tried-and-true gardening expert or a beginner looking to find their budding potential, the gratification of seeing one’s efforts bloom into life is a reward that never tires. And when it comes to the best advice for lawn and gardens, growers across the South turn to Gary Bachman of the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

A research professor of horticulture at MSU’s Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, Bachman is a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science and was named a Great American Gardener by the American Horticultural Society in 2019. He also is the voice and face of “Southern Gardening,” an award-winning television, newspaper, radio, and social media franchise by the MSU Extension Service that is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Follow along as Bachman shares some insight into a flower he recommends for gardeners of all skill levels looking to add a boost of color to their summer landscapes—zinnias.

Zinnias are annual flowers that perform extremely well in hot and humid Mississippi gardens and landscape. In fact, home gardeners can have these beautiful flowers blooming from May all the way through to frost in fall.

One group of zinnias are the Zinnia elegans. These long-stemmed classics feature gorgeous colors, large pom-pom flower heads, and great vase life, making them perfect for cutting and showing off in arrangements.

Another group of head-turning zinnias are the free flowering Profusion and Zahara zinnia series. Profusion zinnia begin blooming in early spring and continue into the fall season; that’s certainly good news for long bloom periods in Mississippi landscapes. They are available in many colors and will typically grow up to 12 inches tall and wide. The plants are compact with good strong branching to support the numerous flowers that completely cover the plants. And the best part is Profusion zinnia don’t have to be deadheaded.

Like their cousins Profusion, Zahara zinnias have excellent branching to support robust mounds of colorful flowers and also maintain a natural resistance to powdery mildew. Zahara zinnia plants come in a variety of colors as well as single and double flowers. In particular, these flowers resemble dahlia blooms.

Zinnia are easy to grow from seed and require very little in terms of maintenance except for consistent fertilization and moisture. A technique to keep fresh flowers all season is to succession plant every three weeks. Simply sprinkle seeds in the garden, which results in a kind of cottage garden look. Or they can be germinated in small pots and transplanted into specific garden locations.

For more on “Southern Gardening” and Gary Bachman’s latest tips and information on lawn and garden care, visit http://extension.msstate. edu/shows/southern-gardening.