I start them in 4” puts, then either transplant the ‘plug’ into a (south, sunny) corner of a raised bed, or I have taken those 4” plugs and put 3 of them into a larger pot, then nestled that in, somewhere in or near the garden, also in a sunny spot.
The only fertilizer they get is some Miracle Grow in the watering can when I remember it - these herbs and flowers are not fussy at all.
If you can’t find the ‘Persian Carpets’ Zinnia, they are now also calling them Zinnia ‘Jazzy Mix.’ I just saw them offered in the Select Seeds catalog.
You could also substitute the short version of Cosmos, ‘Sunset Orange’ which is an AAS Winner and shockingly bright orange.
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