Hi jmcbackyarddigger,

I like Burpee, because they have had a history of breeding new zinnia varieties. Unfortunately, nowadays they are mostly "coasting", but they still have some good strains that are exclusively theirs. I grow a lot of their Burpeeana Giants Mix and Burpee Hybrids Mix.

I always order some zinnias from Parks Seeds. I think their descriptions of their varieties are the most detailed and best written of any seed catalog. But I don't like their practice of renaming or "re-badging" zinnias that they procure from other growers. In my opinion, that borders on being deceptive. For example, their "Parks Picks" zinnias are simply re-labeled Benary's Giants. An unwary gardener might purchase Parks Picks zinnias and Benary's Giants thinking that they were acquiring different kinds of zinnias, not being told that they were simply re-named. But Parks carries a good variety of zinnias and their Candy Mix zinnia is not found in very many places. (Apparently Parks was in the process of re-vamping their website as I was writing this message, so I have removed their hyperlinks. You should be able to google them.)

I get Zig Zag from Veseys. I wouldn't want to skip looking at the Stokes catalog. I also shop at many other catalogs and online stores for different zinnia varieties, including Harris and Johnny's Selected Seeds. Incidentally, Harris has "scooped" many other catalogs in releasing information on the 2010 new varieties.

ZM
(not associated with any product or vendor named or linked)

In terms of a particular variety: I grew the "zowee" zinnia "yellow flame" this year and couldn't be happier with it. Tall plants of a lovely green, tons of lovely flowers, no powdery mildew.

I got the seeds in my Christmas stocking -- I think they were from Thompson & Morgan.

I grow mostly profusion zinnias and they are wonderful. They don't get powderly mildew, you never see dead blooms, and they just bloom and bloom without deadheading. Now you can get the Knee-High varieties that have all the advantages of Profusions on a taller plant. You can get Profusions in white, rose, pumpkin orange, apricot, red-orange (Flame), and yellow.