Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
newyorkrita

I just love Zinnias

newyorkrita
13 years ago

I really do, I just think they are so pretty. Plus they just bloom and bloom. This year since I haven't gone crazy with the daylilies and iris I usually get for spring delivery, (I got none) I decided I could be more organized and start more seeds. Of course I have zinnia seeds left over from last year as I never even started my Magellan Mix and only afew of my Zahara types. But I just went to Harris Seeds and ordered more zinnia seeds as I have great plans.


I got two old favorites of mine, the Cut and Come Again ones and the Cactus Flowered ones. I also bought Edwardian mix, which has the most beautiful rose tones and Distance mix which is a nice bunch of colors and not too tall so I can put them in front of taller ones.

Anyway. I plan to put zinnias in many places around the garden this year, including the front yard were I had them last year. Then there are not only the pretty flowers to enjoy but the butterflies love zinnias and love to visit.

Comments (52)

  • gardengirl403
    13 years ago

    me too! I love zinnias! Long live the zinnia!

  • organic_kitten
    13 years ago

    I bought some Zowie and some red cactus seeds. The multicolors, I will just sow, but these others, I will plant in the greenhouse, next week.

    Everything in the garden is coming to life. I love spring!
    kay

  • natal
    13 years ago

    Love zinnias and cosmos. I'll direct seed both in another week or so.

  • girlgroupgirl
    13 years ago

    Zinnias surpassed daisies as my favorite flower a few years ago! I just love them too!!

  • koszta_kid
    13 years ago

    Haven't posted here for long time. I also love zinnnias. Go dead-head and keep for friends our to direct seed next year.Bloomed right up to frost.

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Usually the zinnias here do keep blooming really late in the year. The Zaharas I had last year just kept right on going until frost hit them. But I missed the big zinnia disply I had out front later in the year because there was nothing I could do except rip them out to finish the last of the terracing in the front yard.

    The actual stone work of the belgium blocks to make the two terraces looks fabulous. And I have some daylilies at the very ends of the terraces and daffs planted all along the middle, hundreds of them. It should look fantastic blooming. Then, as soon as its warm enough, I will put zinnias in the parts that have the daffs so I have all summer color.

  • DYH
    13 years ago

    I really like the Benary's Giant for tall and the Magellan for short (but, huge blooms).

    The butterflies are crazy about zinnias! I cut and cut and still have plenty of blooms for them and for indoors.

    Cameron

    Here is a link that might be useful: Benary's Giant zinnias in my cottage garden

  • organic_kitten
    13 years ago

    My neighbor had that huge bed of zinnias last year, and she generously shared her seeds.

    {{gwi:645324}}

    Very late in the year, I have a pure white zinnia volunteer. My neighbor had talked so much about wanting some white ones that I pulled it up and repotted and kept it in the greenhouse until I had a few blooms to harvest for her.

    I am planting a lot more zinnias this year.
    kay

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    That is a gorgeous picture. Love those zinnias!

  • organic_kitten
    13 years ago

    Such a simple flower to give so much beauty and pleasure for so long
    kay

  • mrssims
    13 years ago

    I had a couple of packets of Zinnia seeds from last year that I never got around to planting. I really don't have much experience with them as the one time I planted seeds it was in an area that was more shady than I realized and they didn't grow. Ooops! But I think they are lovely and so I went ahead and sprinkled them around amongst the daylilies and iris a couple of days ago along with some larkspur seeds. We will wait and see what comes up! It has seemed like such a long winter that I am very, very excited about gardening this year!

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    As long as you have enough space, zinnias look great amoung daylilies. Some types tend to get big and floppy though so it doesn't work for me. In my front yard I have the zinnias in back of two rows of daylilies.

  • mrssims
    13 years ago

    Thanks Rita! There is alot of empty space in there so I was hoping the zinnias and larkspur would help to fill it out until I can get the beds more established. The iris are a bit crowded in one spot, so they might not do well there. Need to divide them at some point this season.

  • schoolhouse_gw
    13 years ago

    I would love a big patch or border of zinnias like in the photo, but I'd have to dig a new bed where there is more sun for them. I let the borders in the orchard go back to weeds again.

    Since it looks like I'll have to plant new hollyhocks along the picket fence this year, I could sow zinnias there to have some color until the HH bloom next year. I think there may be enough sun for the zinnias.

  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    13 years ago

    Count me in as a zinnia lover. Do most of you direct sow the seeds? I usually give them a head start inside but this year was thinking about direct sowing some as well.

  • ronda_in_carolina
    13 years ago

    Mine seem to always get mildew on them. Do you all get that too?

  • natal
    13 years ago

    Mrssims, too late to seed larkspur. Try again in the fall.

    I tried some of the giant zinnias last year, but they ended up flopping all over. I'm sticking to the shorter varieties this year.

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    My zinnias have not gotten mildew in years. Not since I got roses too. I spray the roses with fungicide every two weeks and I give the zinnias a quick spray too.

  • bobanda
    13 years ago

    Well this post sure has gotten some traffic! I think it is unanimous! Zinnias are fabulous! I appreciate that they are so UN-pastel and I'm an UN-pastel kind of gal!!

  • silvergirl426_gw
    13 years ago

    I love zinnias too. I have mostly perennials, but I always include my favorite annuals: zinnia, cosmos, nasturtium, sweet peas, and vines morning glory, moonflower, cardinal climber (for the hummingbirds). I expanded a bed and planted daylilies and iris last year, and I'm so happy someone suggested the same combo with zinnias. Another reason these forums are so great. Susan/thyme, I both start seeds so I can have earlier blooms in our short season and direct sow also. I particularly love the pastels. Let's all of us bookmark this post and post pics later of our zinnias!
    lucia

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    It is going to be a really long time till most of us have blooms as spring growth is barely starting here in the north.

    I am not surprised that so many of us love zinnias. They are so easy to grow and have such beautiful, colorful flowers that just never quit all summer.

    I do tend to think of them as an old fashioned flower but for me, that is good.

  • thinman
    13 years ago

    Not a cottagey setting, but still pretty, my zinnias are a good seller at our farmers' market. These are Benary's.

    {{gwi:645325}}

    ThinMan

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    My zinnia seeds that I ordered from Harris Seeds came in the mail today. I thought that was fast. Zinnias make me think of summer and long summer days when the daylight reaches well into evening. Love zinnias and love summer. I intend to plant lots of them this year :-))

  • christinela
    13 years ago

    Does anyone have advice on growing zinnias? It's already been warm and sunny where I am, and a couple weeks ago I added a packet of zinnia seeds to compost and spread it around an small patch in my backyard. Someone told me to do this, but it just didn't work. No sign of seedlings or seeds. I think I let everything dry out though. I want to start again. Does anyone have advice? The soil is packed tightly in that particular area. When direct seeding, do you water everyday?

  • thinman
    13 years ago

    Pretty much all seeds need moisture to germinate and pop the seedlings up, so you may very well have to water every day. Do you have a garden fork or something to loosen the soil before you plant? That would be a good first step. Then just drop seeds here and there in the area, and use your finger or a stick to poke each one into the soil about 1/2 inch. Smooth the soil over them and keep the area moist. You should see seedlings in under a week if it's warm.

    ThinMan

  • christinela
    13 years ago

    Thanks, ThinMan! I will try this and hopefully I'll have great photos to share here some time this summer.

  • quilt_mommy
    13 years ago

    What wonderful photos to get us all geared up for gardening this spring and summer! I have a small bed in the front yard that has had a number of different plantings over the years but this year I'm getting inspired to do just zinnias. They are always the show stopper in my late summer garden and these mass planting photos are making my mouth water! LOL*

  • gottagarden
    13 years ago

    All right, you've convinced me. This year I must try zinnias!

  • msrose
    13 years ago

    Y'all have convinced me that I need to buy some zinnia seeds. I'd like the shorter ones, so is the Megellan Mix my best bet? Can you find those locally like at HD and Lowes or would it be better to order them and where to you recommend?

  • natal
    13 years ago

    Last year I ordered from Johnny's. I tried the Benary zinnias, but didn't like that they got so tall and hard to manage. This year I chose zinnias in the 2-3 foot range. Seeds came from Select Seeds and Park Seed.

  • Oakley
    13 years ago

    What a coincidence! I just got my box of seeds out, and found the pkt of Zinnias, then found this topic.

    Natal, I have a pkt. of Binary's from Johnny's too. uh oh. Now I'm not excited so I may have to go to the garden center and pick mine out.

    I'll let my dh plant these in his wild flower garden and see how they do.

    I heart Zinnias!!!!!!!!!

  • natal
    13 years ago

    Oakley, just make sure you plant them in an area where they can pretty much go wild. I had mine in beds with other perennials and the zinnias sort of took over.

  • hosta_house
    13 years ago

    I tried Zinnias for the first time last year (Benary Giants) and they went wild but still made me want to try them again. This year I'm trying Short Stuff Hybrid Mix.

  • msrose
    13 years ago

    Where can I find Short Stuff Hybrid Mix?

  • hosta_house
    13 years ago

    I ordered mine from Jungseed.com 1-800-247-5864

  • girlgroupgirl
    13 years ago

    I ordered all sorts of zinnias that are new to me. I realize that there is a spot between the fire hydrant and the sewer grate, by the road that has great soil PERFECT for zinnias! The taller types I often use the "granny fence" around if need be - the cheapo wire fences I get for a few bucks at the discount store. The larger fences support the zinnias quite well if I keep the fence in square blocks.

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I think that's one of the greatest thing about Zinnias, they are perfect for just about any sunny spot, even those really difficult ones.

    My zinia seeds are all sitting on my kitchen table were I put them after they got here in the mail because it is just too early to do anything around here.

    It is a cold wet chilly day here. It's mostly raining with some snow flakes mixed in for that wintry mix. But it is not sticking.

  • thorngrower sw. ont. z5
    13 years ago

    Well I might as well jump in too. I grew zinnias off and on, last year I tried just single colors. Wow what a great look. So I went crazy this year and ordered the same, plus a few other colors. Mostly reds, scarlets, and wine..There
    a great addition to any garden.Some mildew, depends on the year, but they never disappoint.

    Mark

  • flowergirl70ks
    13 years ago

    An old gardener friend of mine told me that in order to escape mildew on zinnas, don't plant until June. It works here for me, and I have lots of late color.

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I have roses too so I just give the zinnias a quick spray of the rose fungicide whenever I spray. No fungus on my zinnias ever.

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Zinnias blooming out in the front yard last summer. These are STATE FAIR.

    {{gwi:645329}}

    {{gwi:645332}}

  • loisthegardener_nc7b
    12 years ago

    I got some zarahas and can't wait to try them out. I hope they do well in a big pot and I can collect seeds for next year. I also hope the collected seeds will still produce very short zinnias, lol.

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I had Zaharas last year myself. One batch was in a large pot and never stopped blooming. The others were out in a garden in back and they just kept right on blooming till frost also. I don't think one can go wrong with Zaharas. I intend to have them back this year. I had tried the Profusion afew years back and like the Zaharas so much better.

  • floridarosez9 Morgan
    12 years ago

    Wow, Thinman, what a beautiful photo.

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I am planning on having lots of zinnias this year. Last year I had the STATE FAIR zinnias in the front yard but this year I have already bought a flat of the STATE FAIR and planted them in the back yard on the terrace in back of the daylily plateau back there.

    Then I have also just bought flats of the CUT AND COME AGAIN zinnias and am going to be planting them out front in the belgium block mini terraces were I have my daffodils. I will also put afew in the second terrace of the terraces garden, or I could just start seeds to stick in there. I want lots of zinnia blooms this year because I just love my zinnias.

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    So I did get one flat of the Cut and Come again planted. I still have the second to do but seem to have run out of steam for the day.

    I have the two belgium block mini terraces out front were I have the daffodils planted. I was able to get zinnias planted in the top of those mini terraces and used the rest of the flat to add zinnias in the second terraces of my terraces gardens in the backyard. They are in back of some daylilies and in between others were I have an empty spot saved for them.

    I still need to plant the second flat, mostly in the bottom of the two belgium block mini terraces. Then I will already have a lot of zinnias here, what with the STATE FAIR already planted and these CUT AND COME again that I just did.

  • donaldl
    11 years ago

    If I grow zinnias in large pots (at least 2 feet diameter, with 3-5 plants per pot) is it advised for me to avoid soil? I have good soil and compost, but some sites recommend soil-less mixtures to avoid rot.

    I plan on seeding directly, thinning, and then trimming down when plants are growing to get bushy, not leggy, and bushy plants.

  • newyorkrita
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I have grown zinnias in large wide containers and started them directly. Used common soil from my garden but my soil here is light having years of ammendments. Also have diect seeded them in the garden. Zinnias aren't fussy.

    I haven't started my seeds yet but no use sowing them unless it is warm. Zinnias germinate in a few days if it is warm.

  • finchelover
    11 years ago

    I tried the bushy zinnia's last year..I believe the Profusion
    and I really fell in love with them. I planted them along my walk and they are now "popping" up.

  • lucillle
    11 years ago

    I'm sending off for some zinnia seeds. I've looked at a couple of 'how to grow' articles and some say to sow successive plantings for continued bloom. If you deadhead spent blooms will the plant make more buds? I don't want successive plantings.

Sponsored
Hoppy Design & Build
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars9 Reviews
Northern VA Award-Winning Deck ,Patio, & Landscape Design Build Firm