Zinnia elegans Miss Willmott

Zinnia 'Miss Willmott' is a wonderful variety, both in terms of colour and size of its flowers. Round and very double, they are large pompoms that sport a lovely candy pink colour, quite unusual for these plants. They bloom all summer, and until the gates of autumn, on robust and healthy plants, resistant to diseases. This pastel variety fits perfectly in romantic flower beds and allows for the creation of tender bouquets. It is easy to sow directly in place in spring. This annual plant is easy to cultivate in the sun, in any good garden soil.

Zinnia elegans is a robust annual species belonging to the Asteraceae family, native to Mexico, which has given rise to numerous cultivars and horticultural hybrids. 'Miss Willmott' is a latest generation variety that spreads easily through sowing. The plant forms a clump that reaches a height of 60-70cm (24-28in) and an average width of 30cm (12in) in just a few months. Its stems are hollow and relatively brittle, adorned with rough and fuzzy leaves, lanceolate to elliptical in shape, of medium green colour. Flowering occurs from June-July to September-October, and it is nectar-rich and attractive to bees. The 'flowers' appear in the axils of the leaves, they are actually inflorescences in heads. Each one, almost globular, measures up to 6-8cm (2-3in) wide, and is composed of numerous ligulate petals of a light pink colour. Zinnias thrive in the sun and tolerate high temperatures well, as long as they are watered a bit. They do best in neutral, rich, and well-drained soil. They are not very demanding and can tolerate just average garden soil.

Highly appreciated for their robustness, vibrant colours, and easy cultivation, Zinnias are a reliable choice in the garden, but they are often confined to sun-drenched flower beds and almost absent from romantic compositions where English or antique roses and wildflowers are found. This 'Miss Willmott' variety is very different and its pastel colour harmonizes with many plants in the garden. You can easily associate it with perennials such as pink Rudbeckias, hybrid mulleins, carnations, and Baptisias, or with other annuals such as Poppies, Coreopsis, or Ammi visnaga. They can also be sown in pots to decorate the terrace in summer. It is a nectar-rich plant that will delight bees and butterflies.