You read about all sorts of plant enthusiasts claiming that certain flowers are the Queen of Flowers. To a rose lover it's the rose, to a camellia lover it is the camellia, and so the story goes with daylilies and hostas.

For the vase, for color, for butterflies and for ease of growing, there is much to be said for the old-fashioned zinnia as the Queen of the Flower Garden. Many a young grower gets their gardening teeth cut on this flower.

There is a revival going on in the world of zinnias. It's as if people woke up and realized this flower is still great. Couple that realization with some new selections, and our landscape can be full of color for months on end.

I suspect that many stopped growing the tall old-fashioned county fair and cactus-flowered types because of leaf spotting. Leaf spotting does occur, but much of that is our fault. We see this happen with many vegetable crops.

The seeds germinate so easily and the stand of seedlings is so awesome that many a gardener doesn't have the willpower to thin zinnias to a proper spacing. Many find themselves growing four to six plants in a space where only one should be. The result is a poor microclimate for this beloved flower. This is a case where the spouse with the weakness needs to have their mate go out and thin. The result will be a truckload of cut flowers.

You might think of zinnias in four groups of dwarf bedding, tall cut flower types, spreading zinnias and landscape zinnias. All will work in the landscape if planned properly.

The dwarf-bedding group has two of my favorites series: the Dreamland and the new Magellan, with this year's All American Selection Magellan Coral. Both have the same giant dahlia-shape flowers but only get about 24 inches tall. They have performed really well throughout the South with little disease pressure.

The tall cut flower group has a lot of varieties and has for the most part been sold as mixtures. Recently they have become more readily available as single colors that I really like. Look for the Benary Giant series. This allows us to plant them in bold drifts. Remember to space as recommended.

The spreading zinnias, also known as narrow leaf zinnias or zinnia angustifolia, have been recognized as winners in several states. The Star series, with orange and gold, and Crystal White are the most popular varieties. The landscape zinnia group is actually a hybrid of the tall and the narrowleaf. Five varieties in the Profusion series - Orange and Cherry, White, and this year's Fire and Apricot - are all worthy.

Flowers bloom on 18-inch-tall plants and reach a height of about 20 inches. They are mounded, giving good color on all sides of the plant. This makes them very suitable for rock-type gardens. You will want to plant yours in well-prepared, well-drained beds about 16 inches apart. For a really show-stopping display, mass about a dozen of the Profusion Orange or Fire in combination with blue ageratums.

Zinnias are also great for late summer and fall plantings.