By Laurin Penland
Wilmington, NC – A pair of gardeners in Riegelwood has landed the Guinness World Record for the world's tallest zinnias.
The record breaking zinnias measuring twelve-feet eight-inches grew from heirloom seeds passed down from gardener Everett Wallace Jr's family.
The hearty family seeds survived a hurricane a few years ago prompting Wallace to name them his Lucky Ladies. He says his mother taught him how to grow flowers when he was a little boy.
"She always taught me how to take care of the strongest ones of the litter. And that's done through the stalk and the leaf of the plant."
Everett says he and his fianc e Melody Wagner battled with Guinness World Records and paid them more than $5,000 to get their certificates, making their zinnias officially the tallest in 2008.
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