Stumbled upon a rose and dahlia garden with a ton of different species. It was such a a gorgeous place and a gorgeous day. I took a bunch of pictures, but this one really sings for me.
The op has it right. Definitely dahlias. I can see why you'd think zinnias though. It's interesting how different (or similar) we can make plants look with dedicated breeding efforts.
Yes! Absolutely. There were so so many different kinds of all different shapes and colors. They're so gorgeous and some were so so big. That's great for your wife, I'll bet that's fulfilling <3