Zinnias in the Snow

This story begins with a conversation that took place in early September of this year, when I called the El Paso County Extension office.

I needed to talk to a master gardener.

You see I was in a bit of a panic.

I couldn’t imagine making my gardening way through 2017 without having zinnias.

It may seem hard to understand, but it was the last bridge too far in a year of monumental changes.

Here is what happened when I made that phone call.

Me:  “Hi- we’re new to El Paso, and I wanted to plant zinnia seeds in raised beds this week, and I need to get some information.”

Him: “Oh dear- I am afraid it is too late in the year. “

Me:  “But I need to do this…I haven’t gone a year without planting zinnias in years.”

Him:  “It is really about the growing and blooming season. Plus the nights and mornings are too cool. I just don’t think it will work.”

Me:   “I just have to…”

Him:  “Oh dear. “

And so I did.

 I walked outside, took the wooden mirror crate the movers had used, and I ripped off the cardboard backing.

There were still wooden slats across the bottom of the crate, but there were about 6 inch gaps in between.

I am a slinger, so I left them in place.

I worked up the soil a bit, dropped the box in place, and filled it with gardening soil.

I then poked a hole in the bed to find the rows that would clear the boards, and I planted my beloved zinnia seeds.

And then they came through.

And of course, the gentleman at the extension office was right.

The nights and mornings were too cool.

But I was right too.

And were they the healthiest zinnias I have ever planted? No.

But what they lacked in perfection, they made up for in perseverance and that kind of ‘vamanos’ spirit I love.

 

And earlier this month when it snowed, I walked outside to check on them, and I found this.

Aren’t they beautiful?