Garden And Gardener

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Space zinnias land at Haskins Garden Centres

by Diane - July 20th, 2016.
Filed under: Flowers.

Space zinnias land at Haskins Garden CentresSpace zinnias land at Haskins Garden Centres
Haskins Garden Centres are rocketing in on the news that astronaut Tim Peak famously became the first British gardener in space – when he revived failing zinnia flowers while on board the International Space Station.

From now, zinnias can be found at Haskins’ at Ferndown in Dorset, West End in Southampton and Roundstone and Snowhill in West Sussex.

Alasdair Urquhart, plant adviser at Haskins Garden Centre in Ferndown, said: “Tim was involved in an experiment to explore the effects of growing plants in micro-gravity and to practice autonomous gardening – a skill that future astronauts will need when on deep space missions.”

“We hope that those interested in anything ‘out of this world’ will try and tend to some themselves and share in this historical moment.”

Zinnia ‘Profusion Orange’ was the variety used in the experiment. It is an upright annual with bright orange, daisy-like flowers that last throughout the summer and available to buy at Haskins from £2.99.
For more information, visit www.haskins.co.uk.