Why I Oughta...

Day three of Zinnia seeds.   First, I showed the State Fair Zinnia seeds that we're going to direct sow later this Spring.  Then, yesterday, I posted photos and details of the unique, green-flowered Envy Zinnia seed packets .  Today, is the third new (to me) Zinnia variety via seed packets:  Candy Cane Zinnias.    Here, below, is the front/back of the Zinnia Candy Cane mixed seed packet: If you look around the Web, you find photos of these that show the blooms to be MASSIVE .  Are they?  I'm not sure.     The concern I have for these is that I wonder if they'll look 'ratty'?  Look at the photo on the seed packet - and you might confuse them with a Zinnia bloom that is past-its-prime.   You can see at the top of the back of the seed packet, Burpee lists these as an "Heirloom" and Eden Brothers confirms that fact .  

Zinnia seeds are the theme this week - with another set introduced here on the blog.  Yesterday, I showed a couple photos of a larger-format-bloom Zinnia:  The State Fair Zinnia .  Today, is another new (to me) cut flower.  When you look at the rack of seed packets, you see a lot of the same/similar colors:  pinks, yellows, reds, oranges, peaches.  But, then there's a Zinnia seed packet that stood out.  It is this one below, named Envy.  Seed packet front/back of Envy Zinnia Seeds that we picked up: These are GREEN flowers. Borderline Chartreuse.  That's certainly unique.  Especially for Zinnias (at least for me).   From the Burpee site : Green Zinnias in your garden make a dramatic display that words can only partially describe. The 3" double and semi-double blooms look as sensational in the garden as they do in the vase. Try them in fresh arrangements with white, deep blue or pink flowers. Can be sown directly in the garden...

Just a few days ago, I posted some details that I've found in terms of the timing of when to sow flower seeds indoors in Northern Illinois (the answer....4-5 weeks before the last frost which usually takes place at the latest on April 30th. So...Right around April 1st). Today, we already have some Zinnias that have germinated.  Be still, my socially-distant heart. The kids took wooden plant markers and decorated their own little sections.  Here's one of them showing seven of eight cells have germinated:   Each of the kids planted at least eight (and up to 16) cells of two zinnia seeds each.  You can see that in many of the cells, both seedlings have emerged.  I'll thin them after the first true leaves appear. Here's another container showing six of eight cells germinated and a couple of cells to the left - still under the 'propped up' dome that have germinated, too. These are Zinnia "Cut and Come Again" mixed color flowers.    With ...