Hybridizers: It can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 3, 0 by atenkley

atenkley wrote:
ZM,

"Your ideas will bring hybrid vigor to the collective mind of us amateur zinnia breeders."

I'm just an amateur like the rest of you! I do agree that the different backgrounds and experience bases we all bring to the table of the forum is one of the strengths of this format.

"You might want to pick up a packet of Burpee's Burpeeana Giants and/or a packet of Burpee's Hybrids...."

Just did and they should be on the way...

"You don't want to neglect your Japanese Morning Glory project. You can always ease into a zinnia hobby and spend as much time or as little time on it as you want."

That is exactly what I plan to do. I do know from past experience though that I very easily get so focused on the current interest that the other valid interests I have will suffer. One goal in my life is to find some balance in all this!

"Do you grow your morning glories indoors under lights in the Winter, and have you tried propagating them from cuttings?"

I have not grown MGs under lights, though there are several on the MG forum that do quite successfully. I'm not equiped to do that now and it can take quite a bit of space. I imagine though that propogating MGs from cuttings could be a worthwhile project for many of the same reasons you express for zinnias.

I've enjoyed your photographs and share your interest in photography and macro photography. My return to zinnias is partly to blame on my desire to get plants in the yard that attracted butterflies. I found myself learning how to photograph them and discovered the close up beauty of the zinnia bloom in this fashion. Here is a little skipper visiting a single zinnia. - Arlan