This is my first year sowing Zinnias directly too. In the past I put them into little peat pellets, let them grow a couple weeks and then put them out. They where always magnificent, the envy of the neighbourhood! Then, last year we where selling the house, and I forgot to get them started. Around June, the agent told me that I needed more "colour" in the garden, so off to the nursery I went to buy my sure fire Zinnias, already started for me! I spent a fortune on them, they where in 4 or 5 inch pots, and almost 8 inches high when I planted them and the result was... PITIFUL! Those poor flowers struggled and clumg for dear life the whole growing season!

So, I have become a big believer that direct sown, or sown very closely after germinating is indeed best!

since you have so many seeds, I would perhaps throw down some seed when you think you "might" get away with it. but hold some back for the next few weeks, and overseed... This way if frost does get the first bunch, you will have more to try!

I have not adivce for birds, but if the seed is burried or raked in, chances are I would think they would leave it alone.

As for frost, my mother lives in a zone 1. (Yeah, not a typo). The thing all the old ladies do with their plants, because they do manage to grow things in those 50-75 days they can... is throw a blanket over anything that is frost sensitive for the night if the weather threatens. They all keep a stack of "garden blankets" handy. It is very easy then to cover large areas, quickly, with little fussing! And has worked with excellent results for as long as they can remember!

Zinnias do very well sown directly into your garden beds.

Last year was my first time growing zinnias. I found them VERY easy. I direct sowed them outdoor. In 2 days you can see sprouts already.

But snails/slugs love the seedlings. My first batch was almost completely wiped out by snails. So please get some snail baits and use them especially when they are young.

Here are some flowers from the same packets. Note the petal shapes are different. I am getting into hybridizing and love these, but I started too late last year to actually hybrize them and have seeds.

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I just direct sowed seeds last week (zone 7b) and they have already germinated! I sowed them just before several days of rain, so the soil stayed moist, then the sun popped out and so did the seedlings.

I'm a newbie (I've always gone the pots of perennials and shrubs route) at direct sowing and am having great success. My larkspur and poppies sown last fall are raging plants right now and I have high hopes for blooms.

Cameron

Winter sowing and even starting them indoors will give you a jump on direct sowing. zinnia's are really very robust plants and will survive a lot of abuse. The only danger, aside from flopping leggy indoor seedlings are winter-sown ones that get frozen. Direct sown ones, though, are totally easy and moreover bloom and shine exactly when many other things are pooping out. If you have a garden bed all ready I would say just direct sow.