Hi Jaynine- Well, I 'thought' I had a lot of zinnias... I actually just bought the Highlights this year, so haven't got those available for trade I might have a California Giant Pink, but I know it doesn't say "Lady" on it. The Old Mexicos are taller than the Aztecs...so I guess while those ARE close, I'll pass for now. If I change my mind, I'll definitely look you up. Thanks!

I have lots of Zinnia Magellan Coral seeds from my 2008 garden. (They're mixed in with chaff and open-pollinated but I have so many I can be generous). If you check out my trade page, you'll see a link to a photo of these coral zinnias. I'm looking for either Zinnia Magellan Scarlet or Zinnia Zahara Scarlet.

Yep, if you can prune off enough woody growth, peasticks are absolutely the best, most invisible supports. I use loads of hazel cos you get quite really terrific branches with lots of laterals, but all growing in a nice flat 2d plane. I grow sweet peas up obelisks, filled in with hazel branches. Willow is also great, and really amenable to bending into hoops. For annuals which grow in a drift, a little forest of upright bamboo canes works better, as each plant is more or less butted up against the next one so the bamboo is just extra insurance on the edges of the bed, to stop the whole swathe going on the lean (we get east anglian winds here).

Hi mxk3, " I don't mind pinching when I'm growing transplants indoors, but once they're outside that's just too much bother for me." A lot of plants depend on intelligent pruning to get good plant habits. Roses are a good example, and so are most trees. Some people actually enjoy "pinching" their plants. I sympathize with your desire to have your zinnias just naturally have good plant habits without extra effort from you. When Burpee first introduced Burpeeana zinnias back in 1961, its 2-foot tall plants were described as having a desirable "mound" plant habit. That superior plant habit may have existed in the initial introduction, but years of field-grown seed production kind of lost it. I don't know, right offhand, of any large zinnias that claim the good plant habit that you desire. California Giants were introduced way back in 1926, they were touted as having extra tall 4-foot tall plants, and they sort of did. I think zinnia breeders should give more attention to zinnia plant habits. You should be on the lookout for those in your zinnias, and save seeds from your favorites. These were a few of my zinnia plants that had a fairly decent plant form. I have a personal preference for long pointed leaves and so-called "threesie" zinnias whose plants are on a plan of three instead of the usual plan of two. ZM