Every year I optimistically plant a vegetable garden. I spend too much money on the seed and get to busy to do the high maintenance weeding required. I make a few harvests and then the garden ends up as a weed patch. Still - it is very satisfying to eat those $10.00 tomatoes and $5.00 peppers.

I have an ongoing argument with my husband Richard. He believes that a vegetable garden should only contain edibles. I always have to stick a few flowers in. I planted a row of zinnias in my vegetable garden last April. Now that the tomatoes have declined and the garden is full of weeds, I am still harvesting zinnias for my flower arrangements.

The varieties I chose were ‘Benary’s Giant’ which comes in mixed colors and ‘Envy’, a green zinnia. A lovely orange zinnia from the mix is pictured here.

They say that flowers are food for the soul. At this point the zinnias are the only food coming from my garden!