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Such a beautiful flower the zinnia, such dense complex blooms but with
surprisingly dry petals, or at least this one has |
If there is one annual that is guaranteed to liven up a bunch of flowers then it is the zinnia in my opinion. Yes they are a little princessy as seedlings desiring as little manhandling of the roots as possible, but once they are past that stage they truly are worth their weight in gold. For that reason they have been a staple in my annual border this year and brighten up the garden every day.
Last year I grew two varieties, double envy and a whirlygig one. Green envy was a great variety with lovely green petals in that shade I always think seems unnateral in a plant although clearly green is the most natural colour for a plant to be! Whirlygig were less successful but I think this is more to do with where I planted them out the back where they get less sun as the year draws on.
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| Zinnias have such interesting centres when they first flower but as they get older like the one on the left the centre vanishes, bizarre |
This year I have really expanded my collection, growing several quite different varieties encompassing sinlges, doubles, bright, pale, big and teeny tiny flowered ones. Each one is worthy of praise in its own right. And one of the joys of zinnias are they are rampant maters. Keeping them pure to a variety when grown in the garden in nigh on impossible so while you can't grow the same variety again from seed you collect yourself, the possibility of getting wierd and wonderful concoctions from the babies opens up and im down for that.
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| They were lovely blooms, but I only got the two purple princes unfortunately! |
It has not all been a bed of roses though. One variety was particularly disappointing purple prince has huge dark pinky purple single blooms, really big and imposing. Only I only got two flowers, one of each of my two plants before both keeled over onto the path after some heavy rain and literally uprooted themselves. To say I was disappointed is putting it lightly. If I could have stuck them back in I would have done but the damage was too great. So while I thoroughly enjoyed those two flowers, I did not get any more. Next year I will make a note to stake this one!
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| I just love these bright zingy orange blooms, they really brighten up the flower border. The centres rise up as these age |
The brightest zinnia I have grown this year is also probably my favourite. I have decided it must be a sprite zinnia because I only sowed a few varieties and I don't remember any of them being particularly orange, except in the sprite mix. Orange is putting it lightly. These are sock-it-to-you orange, and I always appreciate anything that really goes for something. These have been great in vases in the windowsill but I can't really bare to cut them because they look so great in the garden. One particular featre of these is the central cone really protrudes out from the flower as the bloom ages, making it quite dynamic and rather similar to echinacea.
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These queen red lime zinnias vary slightly from the other plant I have of this variety, these
have a whole section of lime petals, but are equally big and round |
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| These really highlights how zinnia flowers never remain static, they start one shape and colour and continually evolve |
My only double zinnia is this badboy, queen red lime. Look at that for a flower. I don't understand how flowers can possibly construct themselves so intrically in a bud, but clearly they can. These start out flecked with a lime green colour and turn a lovely dusky rose colour with age. These big pink balls last literally for ages. Only one came out to begin with and even the mother commented on how long I held out for before finally withering.
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| I didn't know I had planted any yellow ones, but up it popped! Such a nice shade, this shows the true pastel quality |
Again I think this pale pastel yellow one must be from the sprite mix because I didn't plant any yellow ones and I only have the one. It contrasts beautifully with the lilac cosmos sat next to it, a real pastel combination. Im very fond of a yellow flowers, and while I love a good honking yellow I can also appreciate the subtleties of life so this one has very much been appreciated.
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| This photo makes it look more saturated than it actually is. |
And finally to my last and teeny tiniest, red spider. I bought these at Kew in London from a stand of seeds from around the world. They looked exciting with their thin blood red petals, and they are. They are just absolutely miniature. I do think some measure of scale should be included on seed packets because I was rummanging about one day, came across this didy flower and actually exclaimed "thats it!?" In my mind it was going to be so much bigger. But no matter.
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One of my teeny tiny, itsy-bitsy, diddy red spider flower. Yes its a zinnia, just
an absolute miniature one! |
What I have been attempting to do all summer with limited success is collect the seeds from my zinnias this year so that next year a whole world of mixtures is openend up. I just can't get the blooms to dry and make seed without wilting into a black rotting mess on top of the stalk. Its been quite a challenge but I am perserveering.
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