In the hopes that it will encourage you to plant some of these hardworking, heat-loving beauties in your garden this season, I thought I’d share some of my favorite types that we grow here on the farm.
To start with, we are incredibly excited about Unicorn Mix (pictured above). While it’s still a work in progress, this unique Floret blend has been a labor of love for us, and we’re pleased to be able to share it with the world at last.
The mixture features medium-sized, usually double blooms with eye-catching lavender centers that come in a beguiling array of vibrant sherbet shades, including raspberry, orange, magenta, lemon, apricot, dusty lilac, and blush.
Golden Hour, another new release from Floret, is a stunning assortment of warm buff, honey, and soft apricot flowers that began with two single plants we found in our fields.
We’ve gathered the seeds throughout time and picked out the lightest antique melon hues. Nothing else like it is available in the market. This cultivar is called after the golden hour just before the sun sets on the horizon, which is our favorite time of day on the farm.
The zinnia family’s largest-flowered kinds, Benary’s Giant Series plants frequently grow to a height of 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters), and they frequently feature a high proportion of enormous double flowers. They have a total of 12 different hues and are renowned for having sturdy stems and exceptional disease resistance.
The ‘Giant Salmon Rose’ variety, shown above, is my all-time favorite since its warm peachy color is so adaptable and gets softer with age. Both pastel and vivid hues go nicely with it.
The “Desert Sunset Mix” (seen above) is another color I adore. It has my three favorite warm-toned Benary’s Giant hues: coral, orange, and carmine. When coupled with acid green or deep crimson blooms and foliage, they make a striking statement.
A longtime customer favorite, “Benary’s Giant Coral” is a glistening tropical coral-salmon variation. ‘Benary’s Giant Carmine’ (shown right) features raspberry-pink blooms that have a three-dimensional aspect as they age due to the outer tips of the petals fading.
The smallest tinge of lavender is bordered around the petal tips of “Benary’s Giant Orange,” giving them an iridescent appearance. ‘Benary’s Giant Lime’ has unusual Granny Smith apple-green flowers that are densely covered in petals.
‘Benary’s Giant Deep Red’ (shown left) has a deep ruby-red color with just a tinge of purple on the back of the petals, giving them a dazzling, iridescent appearance. ‘Benary’s Giant Bright Pink’s’ (right) cotton candy-pink blossoms are as delicious as they come.
The dramatic, deep wine shade “Benary’s Giant Wine” (seen on the left) is a customer favorite. The outer petals of “Benary’s Giant Lilac” (shown on the right) begin as a vibrant lilac and gradually turn a chilly, pale lavender, creating a haunting image.
The most prolific and floriferous zinnias I’ve ever grown are the Oklahoma Series. Oklahoma Salmon, Pink, Carmine, Ivory, White, Yellow, and Scarlet are among the series’ seven colors.
‘Oklahoma Salmon’ (seen above) features small, double blooms that go beautifully with everything. They are a warm blend of salmon and peach. Everyone adores this find!
To the satisfaction of innumerable growers and designers, Frank Morton from Wild Garden Seed in the Pacific Northwest brought back “Oklahoma Ivory,” which had previously been withdrawn. This cultivar, cherished for its adaptable creamy ivory color and lovely double flowers, is one that we are thrilled to offer.
The Queen Series of zinnias has the most distinctive collection of uncommon colors, such as lime green, smoky apricot, dusty rose, and limey blush.
A welcome advance to the zinnia family, the Queen Series cultivates vigorous plants with strong stems and hardy flowers in addition to their distinctive colors.
The ‘Queen Lime Blush’ flower, which is usually double and semidouble and is shown above, is unlike anything else we’ve ever seen. Everyone who sees them falls in love at first sight. It must be grown!
“Queen Lime Orange”: The most exquisite assortment of iridescent raspberry, apricot, and smoky peach with a dark cranberry center can be found in the Queen Series. When paired with lush greenery and blooms, this color’s versatility looks amazing.
Types with scabiosa flowers: I cultivated scabiosa-flowered zinnias for the first time in 2014, and they rapidly rose to the top of my list of seasonal favorites. The lacy double blossoms resemble double-flowered echinacea or little gerbera daisies.
They feature lovely long stems, strong disease resistance, and a gorgeous variety of hues.
The improved variety “Candy Mix” (seen above) features a higher proportion of double blossoms in a cozy, upbeat combination of scarlet, raspberry, pink, salmon, tangerine, gold, and cream.
It’s important to note that many growers in warmer areas have observed that they don’t receive the same high proportion of doubles with scabiosa kinds (doubles shown on the right) that we experience in the Pacific Northwest.
I believe that if plants experience any stress, such as not getting enough water or being exposed to too-high temperatures, they will begin to produce single blooms after doing a lot of research and exchanging letters with the breeders (pictured left).
Although the single blooms are attractive and distinctive, many people have been let down by this fact.
The frilly double blooms of “Zinderella Peach” (seen above) have a dramatic dark center and are a warm blend of salmon, peach, and cream. This may be my favorite zinnia out of all the ones we cultivate. The exquisite blend of blush and delicate lavender known as “Zinderella Lilac” (seen above) is highlighted with an eye-catching black center. Floral designers adore it since it’s perfect for wedding work!
Bicolor novelties: Everyone who sees these interesting bicolor novelties is bound to be intrigued.
Since we’ve been cultivating “Macarenia” for years, we’ve discovered that people either adore it or despise it. For a whimsical twist, each glistening crimson flower has a gold tip. This diligent plant, which took home the Fleuroselect Novelty Award in 2012, does well in the heat and is quite simple to grow.
With a fresh spin on zinnias, “Mazurkia” is a Fleuroselect Winner with good cause. A lively, campy double blossom with lipstick-pink centers and gentle blush tips is produced by the medium-sized plant.
Types with tiny flowers: The traditional “Lilliput Mix” (seen above) belongs in every cutting garden. The simple-to-grow, heat-loving plants bear an abundant crop of pleasant blooms in hues of rose, carmine, orange, coral, white, yellow, and violet on long, sturdy stems. They are perfect for floral arrangements because of their small flower size.
I adore “Lilliput Salmon” in particular (pictured growing above). All summer long, this delightful bloomer produces a profusion of small, completely double, salmon dome-shaped flowers.
The Sunbow Series has been around for a very long time and is available from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. It features tiny 1- to 2-inch (2.5 to 5 cm) double blooms that are supported by long, robust stems. It is available in a bright assortment of colors, including white, red, orange, pink, scarlet, and golden yellow. Plants are perfect for flower arrangements since they have long, wiry stalks.
Cactus-flowered varieties: These amusing novelty flowers come in a variety of hues, including orange, pink, red, yellow, peach, and white, and have the coolest twisted, shaggy petals.
My favorite variety is “Seora” (seen above), which has warm salmon-apricot quilled blossoms and yields an abundance of big flowers with sturdy stems. It must be grown!
Mexican zinnias: Although the plants themselves are small, from July to early fall, they produce an abundance of stems for cutting. They are more like a bedding plant than a cropping variety due to their small stature, but I believe they belong in every cutting garden.
The charming gold, cranberry, orange, and cream flowers in the “Persian Carpet Mix” (seen above) work well with these colors.
A wide variety of small bicolor flowers in the vivid, eye-catching “Aztec Sunset” combination come in tones of buttercream, gold, crimson, rust, and merlot. These dependable bloomers are a wonderful complement to the flower border’s front and the cutting garden.
Your experiences with this lovely set of plants would be greatly appreciated. Do you cultivate zinnias or do you have any plans to include them in your garden this year? If so, what kinds do you prefer or what new items are you adding to your wishlist?
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What zinnia cultivar has the most variations?
Since they produce some of the biggest zinnias I have ever seen and they are so rich and brilliant, I genuinely adore all of the colors from this series. These series are definitely fail-safe!
Giant Golden Yellow from Benary (a must have for warm-toned bouquets and arrangements)
Rose of Benary’s Giant Salmon (a must-have color and can often come out looking peachy, which helps to neutralize brighter colors like hot pink, yellow, and orange)
Giant Carmine Rose from Benary (brighter, richer, and often has a dark pink center)
Exist any gigantic zinnias?
When it comes to zinnias, Benary Giant varieties are the best. A good four feet tall (if not taller) with enormous 3–4 flowers that are extremely lovely, they have a great form, come in a range of colors, and are incredibly massive in size.
Some of the most popular zinnias grown by flower growers include the Benary Giants, also known as the Blue Point zinnia (which was expressly bred and sold as a florist zinnia).
But everything isn’t necessarily good. My primary complaint with the Benary Giants is that some of the colors don’t double consistently, with the salmon color being the most variable (as salmon-colored variants would naturally be!) moreover, the seed might be pricey (100 for $6).
The Giant Dahlia Flowered Zinnias, which are more affordable (850 for $4! ), caught my attention. I therefore made the decision to try them out alongside the Benary Giants.
NOTICE: Due to the fact that both of these zinnias produce what are referred to as “When a flower has two or more rows of petals overlapping on top of one another rather than just one row, it is said to have a double blossom form. The several layers produce a more spherical or “beehive form that gives the bloom more depth and character.
One of the things I enjoy about the Benary Giants is that they do come in straight colors, which is in part why they are more expensive than the mix (as it takes a lot more work to isolate and crossbreed the single colors).
Gigant dahlia The only variety of flowered zinnias available, however, was a mix, which, considering the cost, wasn’t awful. If I planted enough, I was confident that I would have more than enough of each color to choose from. In this situation, it seems like more zinnias might be a wonderful idea.
Both the Giant Dahlia Flowered mix and three varieties from the Benary Giant series—Salmon, Giant Wine, and Giant Deep Red—were widely planted. Since I was already aware that the Salmon were a variety that was more likely to generate single flower shapes, I reasoned that I could try the other two to see whether they performed any better.
They were all planted in the same location and each received the same amount of sunlight, moisture, fertilizers, and care; but, how well did each one perform?
What is the name of the tall zinnias?
Kingy Lime Orange The coral, peach, and lime flowers grow to be approximately three inches wide, and the tall plants can reach heights of 30 to 40 inches, making them perfect for cutting. The company Botanical Interests sells seeds.
How large can a huge zinnia grow?
Use giant zinnias to bring color from the outside of your new home into it. They make fantastic cut flowers. Giant zinnias are plants that thrive in the sun and grow to heights of 2.5 to 4 feet. The distinguishing feature of these simple-to-grow annuals is their five-inch flowers, which have layers of rectangular petals.
What dimensions do zinnias have?
While some dwarf variants only grow to be six inches tall and wide, full-sized cultivars can reach heights of up to four feet with a spread of several feet.
A small variety would probably be the ideal if you’re searching for something to grow in pots or along a border.
When mass-planted or displayed in mixed garden beds, the full-size flowers are stunning.
Do you wish to create a butterfly garden? Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies love to visit full-sized kinds with enormous flowers, especially those with solitary or semi-double blossoms.
Naturally, there are a huge variety of colors and patterns to pick from. These gorgeous blooms come in nearly every hue of the rainbow.
Blooms on the Magellan Coral are dazzling. They cast light on the garden. The 5- to 6-inch blooms have dahlia-like petals that are totally double and shimmer in beautiful coral. Comparable to other Zinnia elegans, the flowers are of higher quality and color. Magellan Coral plants are not only colorful, but they are also ablaze with brilliant blossoms. A higher grade flower is one that is consistently produced. Early blooming is yet another outstanding quality. Only 6 to 9 weeks pass from seeding to the first bloom. Depending on the growth environment, mature zinnia plants can grow from 15 to 17 inches tall and spread from 15 to 19 inches. Magellan Coral, like all zinnias, will thrive in a full-sun growing environment.
The container culture can be adapted to by this AAS Winner. Magellan Coral is a low-maintenance plant that is undemanding in the landscape.
How are huge Zinnias grown?
Direct sow in the spring; warm soil is optimum for the germination of this California Giant zinnia flower seed mixture. Plant barely below the surface and maintain a mild moisture level in the soil until germination, which normally happens in 7 to 10 days. Plants from seed do not transplant well.
Growing: Until seedlings are established, give them regular irrigation; do not, however, overwater. Mature plants survive some drought, but they thrive with sporadic irrigation in dry conditions. Rich soil is best for this plant’s growth, and little fertilizing may be necessary for the finest blooming. To promote bushiness, pinch off the growth stems, and deadhead to extend the blooming period. Bees and butterflies are drawn to this plant.
Harvesting: Select stems with freshly opened flowers for use as cut flowers. Remove any foliage that will be below the water’s surface and submerge it right away.
The centers of the blooms will darken and form compact clusters of seed at the root after the petals have fallen off. Remove the seed heads as soon as they develop a deep brown color and spread them out to dry for several days. Thresh the dried heads to separate the chaff from the tiny, arrow-shaped seeds. By keeping the cleaned seed in a cool, dry location, it is feasible to save Zinnia flower seeds.