Question: My zinnia transplants don’t bloom very well after I plant them. They look great when I buy them, but then nothing more.

Answer: That’s a common problem with many different annual flowers. With zinnias, as with most of the others, it’s because the plants become stunted while they’re still in their original pots. By the time we set them out, they’ve quit growing almost entirely. Best solution with most of these plants: buy transplants that are in bud, but not yet in bloom.