RED ARRANGEMENTS - FALL ZINNIAS: They come in a variety of blooms, but all are bright and beautiful

Fall is a time when the blooms of perennials are usually larger, brighter, and last longer in the garden. State Fair Zinnias are no exception. I love the variety the colorful flowers have: single, semi double, double, and fully double! This week's arrangement shows them all, in lovely red, velvety blooms. The shades of rosy lavender in many of them adds extra character. State Fair Zinnias come in a myriad of colors: white, off-white, deep red, and all shades of yellow, pink, coral, orange and rose. The more you snip off, the more they bloom. They are prolific fall bloomers, and will continue to bloom until a killing frost, usually the end of November here in zone 6. After a killing frost, the stalks turn black, and they are easily pulled out. Some people save the seeds to plant in the spring. If you want to, just wait for the mature, spent blooms to yellow, then shake the dry head into an envelope. Mark and keep the small seeds in the refrigerator until spring, when they can be sown in the garden when all chance of frost is over, or 6 weeks earlier in seeding pots inside.