Fellow butterfly gardeners - I need zinnia seeds

I need help - have requested trades on the seed exchange - but figured you guys are my best bet - as we all plant what will attract butterflies and moths.

I need lots and lots of zinnia seeds - I don't mind chaff or complete seed heads as I will be tossing them out into the back field.

Well, ya'll...as most of you know I did some trades earlier in the year for all kinds of butterfly nectar plant seeds and plowed up an area and sowed a mix of seeds out in the back forty at the ranch. The little seedlings were growing and well and on their way to establishing themselves after the good rain and weather we've been having. I was so thrilled to see all those tender young leaves!!!

Notice I said "were"

- well, went out to check on them this weekend and found all the tender seedlings and sprouts eaten to the ground!!! Lots of deer tracks - guilty critters!

Oh well, we allowed the property to revert back to its native state and have been feeding the deer corn, sorghum and mineral/salt blocks because we want the deer to have a place of refuge (lots of hunters in the surrounding properties).

Sad to say...they've made themselves right and home and have obviously enjoyed themselves immensely - must've thought...what nice people...they even put in a salad bar for us!!!

However...they did not touch the zinnias???!!! Go figure. So now there is a small patch of zinna plants and there were at least two dozen butterflies on them :o) So am thinking I need to do some trades for bulk zinnia seeds :o)

Okay...so I need lots and lots of zinnia seeds - bulk amounts - in quart baggies or more. Any kind, any color - doesn't matter - they are all good for me - I don't mind chaff and will take complete seed heads if you're dead-heading your plants.

Am willing to pay for postage (via PayPal or personal check) if you have bulk amounts - if you don't want postage I can trade some plants and cuttings I have:

Green Shrimp Plant (Blechum browneii) rooted - larval host for the Malachite butterfly

Jasmine bush (Cestrum parquii) - fresh cuttings (supposed to be the larval host for the clearwing butterflies that stray over from Costa Rica)

Hoya obovata (rooted) - butterflies and moths enjoy the blossoms

Hoya - unknown - two kinds - fresh cuttings

Brugmansia white - fresh cuttings - good for sphinx moths

Brugmansia salmon - fresh cuttings - good for sphinx moths

Mexican Flame Vine (Senecio confusus) fresh cuttings - good nectar source

Sedum - not sure if it is texana - small yellow flowers - rooted

Crinum - pink (fresh bulbs)

Golden Pothos - huge leaves - fresh cuttings of stem with nodes - works great in shady areas - I have mine growing up two huge oak trees - they cover the trunk completely

Cherokee Bean aka Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea) seedlings about 5" tall

Yellow Orchid Vine aka Yellow Butterfly Vine (Mascagnia macroptera) fresh cuttings - perhaps with small roots forming

Plumeria white or pink (not sure which are which) - cuttings

Chalice vine - solandra grandiflora - rooted or fresh cuttings - be forewarned the rooted ones are big

* RARE* Yellow Morning Glory (Ipomoea ochracea) seeds

D-mail me if you have bulk amounts of zinnia seeds - by bulk am talking about a quart baggie full or more :o)

Here's a photo of what the deer left - the grass has grown again and needs to be re-tilled as well. One measely little patch of zinnia still proudly stands :o) It looks great up close too. However, I need lots more zinnia or deer resistant seeds.

~ Cat

That is sad but nice to know what you can do to solve the problem. Wish I had some to help you.

Sorry, I can't help you on the seeds. But remember, with postage being as high as it is, it might not be much more expensive to just buy bulk seeds. Some commercial sites have free or cheap postage.

But it is good to hear that zins are so unappetizing to deer. If I were you, I'd stop trying to attract them if you want a garden. Good luck.

Karen

oh, girlie, I've got seeds!

And "cheapseeds" on Ebay for bulk seeds with free shipping. 1,000 zin pompom for $2.49, 500 California giants for 2.49. If I were you, I'd throw in the 7,000 gloriosa daisy for another $2.49, and shipping is free. For $7.50, you'd have a beautiful meadow.
http://stores.ebay.com/CHEAP-SEEDS
I've never bought with this ebay company, though.

I'm not sure, but assuming this is the same company as cheaps.com
http://www.cheapseeds.com/
Similar prices and free shipping. I have bought from them and would recommend them highly.

Karen

Just be sure to check out the comments or ratings on how other buyers have done with the ebay sellers. You can really get burned if you aren't careful. I'm wondering...do you have Frostweed down there? I haven't noticed deer liking that and butterflies just love it in the early fall. Or Skeleton Plant....it seems to do well here anyway!

I dont' have deer problem but read that nicotiana and marigolds are supposed to be good. I have some giant marigold. The flowers are small, but the plant is 5', I'll send those too, if you'd like.

I too was going to mention Marigolds. Deer do not seem to like them... and i too have a lot of tall ones.
oh the the blooms on mine are big.. like Zinnias.

lemme see if i can find an image.

nope -- couldnt find a good one.

BUT -- if you are interested in large Marigolds... lemme know.

This message was edited Oct 27, 2008 4:18 PM

Cat - What about Cowpen Daisies? And Sunflowers - "Tithonia"? These are strictly nectar plants, but the butterflies are all over mine. Both have flowers that will produce lots of seeds to help spread them around the area. Have you grown either of these on the ranch? I don't know if the deer would eat them.

Here is what the garden bed I have them growing together in looks like. The cowpen daisies seem to bloom non-stop and appear to be drought tolerant! :-)

Awesome photo Becky!!! I had a mix of sunflowers and daisies in the mix and those are gone too. Not sure if it was the deer that got those or the feral hogs...or the rabbits...or the field mice. So many varmits :o)

Am going to plow up an area closer to the ranch house for Spring - where most of the varmits and bigger critters won't venture because of the ranch dog.

~ Cat

Feral HOGS! Oh my.

I grew tithonia this year for the first time. Pretty!

Karen

WOW Kqcrna!!! What a lovely huge patch of Tithonia!!! I hope to see the back forty like that - hopefully next year since the deer thought I planted a salad bar for them!

~ Cat

hey, what about that Scarlet Sage? this site says it is deer resistant. Boy I love this stuff as do my hummingbirds. It would go nuts at the ranch!

http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/sal.coc.htm

OH -- i grew that this year.... it's still blooming!! absolutely gorgeous.

There is a native red sage that grows out at the other ranch but I've never noticed any butterflies on it...perhaps it wasn't the right time or I just wasn't paying attention back then. Will have to make it a point to drive to the other place and check.

Hmm, come to think of it, I'm not sure I saw butterflies on it either. Lots of hummingbird action. But it was not in the sunniest of areas for me. I'll move it to the sunny area next year.

TCS, we had a hard freeze this week and it is a gonner now.

Mrs Ed... believe it or not... we still have not hard a hard freeze.
I'm about 30-35 miles west of the lake.

I think the closest to have the hard freeze was Dekalb area... but certainly not DuPage as far as i know.

Lucky you. I had some huge green tomatoes I was hoping to get a bit more ripe. I forgot to cover them!

d'oh

TexasPuddyPrint... I know my sister lives in San Marcos, and the deer there don't bother her Lantana... growing wild all over her place, and the butterflies are all over them. She's constantly looking for deer resistant plants, so I feel for you. I just sent her a Mexican Hydrangea also... because I read that it was also deer resistant.

Anyway... I'm sending you some Zinnia seeds for your meadow... no trade needed... just enjoy them.

bjwilson...many thanks!!!

We have lantana growing wild at the ranch - the orange and yellow blooming kind. Don't see many butterflies on them...or perhaps it is because there is so much of it around - the deer don't touch it :o) Same goes for the Mexican Olive trees - I see butterflies on the ones at the park but only the Pipevine Swallowtails seem to use them. Go figure!

Did see a couple of mistflower bushes in bloom - those had lots more butterflies...not sure if the deer will eat those or not...so far they haven't touched them. Will be looking into harvesting seeds for next Spring.

This is the plant I sent my sister. It can be invasive, but in a meadow like that, you could stand a bit of invasion if it looked like this.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1253/

Interesting plant...I've not seen that one before. Sure is pretty!

~ Cat

BTW... thought I'd ask... I'm short on Coreopsis seeds, if you have a few, I could use some.

Not required for the zinnia seeds, though...

TexasPuddyPrint, are you still looking for zinnia seeds? Mrs_Ed pointed me over here when I mentioned on another forum that I went a bit overboard on saving zinnia seed. I could send you a quart bag or maybe two! If you're interested, send me your addy!

Angie

BJ -- do you still need Coreopsis? I have 2 varieties [plains and Early Sunrise ] if you still need seeds.

Cat, you have DMail if youre still in need. I'd be happy to share my stash with you, no trade necessary.

I was in an awesome trade last fall so I'm zinnia rich at the moment! =)~

ha. Zinnia Rich!

I just bought two packets of shorties to accompany the seeds I collected last year. Cat, your seeds are sitting in a box ready to send. Let us know when you are back at home.

BJ, I have coreopsis Bright lights if you want.

Ooops...forgot to mention...am back home now. It was a long drive back and am tired. The government vehicle I took didn't have power windows, locks or cruise control. I didn't know they still made cars like that! UGH!!! Never again!

Will be in an out for the rest of the month but only for a couple of days at a time. Send all the seeds ya'll care to - got plenty of room on my front porch for packages if my mail box gets full :o) Heh! Heh!

Grandpa is wanting to till up more land. We set out several game feeders and we've had a few 6, 8 and 10 point bucks show up on them. Not to mention gobs of button bucks and does. We are glad they survived deer season :o) Now he wants to keep feeding the deer so they'll stay safe on our property.

I want to plant seeds for the butterflies and he wants to feed the deer!!! Anyone have any idea where to get bulk seeds for deer food plots? Guess I'll check with the local ranch/feed stores. I need to appease the deer so they'll stay away from the flower seed patch!

My best bet is to give up the back patch of land and try for something closer to the ranch house. I know we get deer near the house but the ranch dog seems to keep them at bay. That's my only hope to keep the butterflies happy.

~ Cat

I would say that deer would eat anything that you don't want them to have! LOL.