Growing Zinnias


OldFashionedLiving.com
Home   |   Holidays   |   Garden Path   |   Home & Hearth   |   Kitchen   |   Tea Time   |   Rememberances   |   Corner Library   |   Crafter's Attic   |   Treehouse   |   Pathways   |   Moms   |   The Parlor


Search

Monthly Newsletter

Daily Tips Newsletter

Home



Gardening Tips
Growing Herbs
Flowers Gardens
Organic Gardening
Herb Recipes/Crafts

Home & Hearth
DIY Projects
Cleaning Tips
Household Pests

Old Fashioned Recipes
Family Recipes
Kitchen Tips
Hospitality

Tea Time
Tea Traditions
Good Manners
Menus & Recipes

Holidays
Holiday Crafts
Recipes & Tips
Family Traditions

Family Loss
Loss and Grief
Poetry & Tributes

Family Reading
Book Reviews
Poetry & Reading
Writing Tips

Craft Projects
Craft Projects
Keepsake Crafts
Kid's Projects

Kid's Fun
Kid's Crafts
Family Activities
Scrapbooking
Games & Fun

Family History
Family History
Collecting Tips
Geneology

Motherhood
Pampering Ideas
Encouragement
Parenting Tips

Family Resources
Kid's Resources
Family Support

The Parlor
Join us on our message boards for conversation, introductions, support, encouragement and chit chat. Stop by and introduce yourself Here!


Recipes

Tea

Crafts

Garden

Forums

Growing Zinnias

By Brenda Hyde
Zinnias were one of the first flowers I planted from seed. They are perfect for kids, but I also think they are wonderful for beginning gardeners. They are easy to grow with just a few requirements, and they actually prefer direct seeding. Germination is very quick-less than a week in hot weather!

Really, the only drawback to zinnias is they don't like humidity and often will end up with mildew. I always have a few that develop this, but most of them are bright and cheerful, blooming until frost.

When picking a location for zinnias select a bright, sunny spot. (At least 6 hours of sun.) They need good air circulation to help keep disease to a minimum. Keep the area weed free, water at ground level not from above, and space as instructed for the variety you choose. It helps to know they used to call Mexico home where it's hot and dry. This is how they grow best!

They come in so many wonderful colors and sizes--from the dwarf sizes to the giant zinnias that can reach 4 foot. There really is something for everyone. The giants will work for the back of the border and the dwarfs are great for window and porch boxes. Zinnias are also a favorite of butterflies! It's not too late to plant them from seed. I planted a giant variety this weekend. The nights need to be around 50 degrees and in the north we just started warming up! Plant according to instructions-varieties do differ, and keep the soil moist til germination. When the plants are small keep them watered well, but after they are established they will become drought tolerant. If they are in containers you'll need to water and fertilize more than if they are in beds.

Zinnias are known as a cut-and-come-again flower. The more you cut the more they bloom. Use them as a cut flower throughout the summer and you will have a nice supply until fall frost. They do continue to open indoors after cutting so you can cut them partially and fully opened in the mornings.

Zinnias are perfect for using in a project with the kids. Allow them to decorate a clay pot and saucer, then when dry plant 3-4 zinnias seeds in good container soil. Have them water well and set the pot in a warm sunny spot on a porch or deck. Because they are fast growing it will be easier to keep the kid's attention as they care for the zinnias and watch them grow. When they have a second set of leaves thin so only 2 or 3 plants are left in the pot, depending on how small the pot it. Be sure to use one of the dwarf varieties and if you have several kids or grandkids give them each a pot and group them together for a neat display!


About The Author

Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her
husband and three kids. Stop by and visit her garden blog, Garden of Grace & Whimsy, and her photography blog, A Dance of Words & Photos.
 
Custom Search


Visit Alicia for Easter Recipes

SeptemberLady
"Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.

My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."

Read more from this member or chat with all our friendly members in The Parlor!



Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."

Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!

Read more...



Growing and Using Garlic Chives
Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.

The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!

Read more...



The Perfect Porch Swing
Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.

Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.

Read more...





Home | Forums | Newsletter | Resources | Media Kit | Submissions | Privacy Statement | Contact Us
© Copyright 1999-2008 MOAB Group LLC, Seeds of Knowledge, Old Fashioned Living

KITCHEN & HOME
Easy Recipes
Holiday Recipes
Wedding Ideas
Old Fashioned Ideas
PARENTS & FAMILY
Unique Baby Names
Baby Names
Popular Baby Names
Kid's Crafts
Chronic Insomnia
SHOPPING
Wall Letters
Family Decals
Craft Supplies
Kid's Costumes