Zinna time!

Hang on there starting to bloom!
Maybe some color at last in the garden.

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This one bloomed out a few days ago. It is a Burpee Big Tetra.

ZM

Oh I like that one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can't remember what all colors I planted but I hope I have some orange too!

Another color to add.

This is a young pink scabiosa flowered taken last evening. - Arlan

State Fair Giant heritage.

Mixed parentage, including Burpee Hybrids and Burpee Burpeeana.

Arlan,that scabiosa looks like it is on fire!!!!!!!!!!
Like those apricot colors!

Tropicman, I've enjoyed the brilliant colors of these flowers as well!

Here is a close up of a Zinnia haageana Persian Carpet that is growing in my garden. I particularly like the informal look of this flower that is not typical of the strain.

I've created a gallery for the various flower forms I'm finding in my Persian Carpets this year: http://atenkley.wordpress.com/

Arlan

Wow!
Looks like the sun,shooting sun spots out toward the earth!
Thanks

Arlan,
I really enjoyed your link and photos.
That doubled speckled JMG was spectacular!
Hope to see some more of your interesting work in the future!

Lovely flowers...! I can't wait for the ones I sowed to come up. This one came back from last year.

Arlan,

Your pictures above and elsewhere are inspiring to amateur zinnia breeders like myself. Your gallery of Persian Carpets is most interesting. It looks like you could do some useful breeding just within the Persian Carpets. Thompson & Morgan selected the dwarf Aztec Sunset strain from Persian Carpets over a period of ten years.

http://www.tmseeds.com/product/4294.html

Several of your Persian Carpet specimens are worthy of breeding, including the "atypical" one you pictured above. I really liked several of those in your Persian Carpet gallery, including those with "toothy" petals, and I really like the unusual halo effect of this one:

http://atenkley.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/persian-carpet-062009-001a-850.jpg

I like all kinds of unusual color patterns in zinnias, so I am particularly interested in the pattern in the one above. Several months ago I had an unusual coloration appear in a zinnia. It was actually a tricolor, but you can't see the light purple color at the base of the petals very well.

ZM

Might I just say all you guys photos of zinnas are just outstanding,nevere knew of the different varieties.
Please keepem coming thru the season!

Wow, Zen_Man, that is the most unique coloration I've ever seen. So beautiful. I also like that State Fair heritage posted by atenkley.

I'm also trying the haageana Persian Carpet color this year, started from seed they're just starting to bloom. The different colors are amazing. I think I'm going to like them a lot.

Karen

Purple anyone?

Well then how about the pinks!

Well red it is!

I have gotten a new appreciation for Zinnias down here in Texas. They are holding up very well to the heat and humidity.

And here as well!

These zinnas are getting as big and as pretty as some of those Proteas!!!!

White one!

Beautiful picture of a beautiful flower. Has it a name and source?

I grew these from seed,just said giant zinnas and yes they are giants,around 5 ft tall,huge flower heads!!!

Zinnas holding to the heat better than I ever thought they could!

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Nice photos Tropicman. I was wondering if anyone was lucky enough to get some seeds for, and planted a new zinnia named Zinnia "Queen Red Lime"??? It's been out of stock for months now.
Jon

Thats the first I've heard of that one!!!

Jon,

Johnny's Selected Seeds went out of stock on Queen Red Lime before I was able to obtain any.

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?category=58&subcategory=135&scommand=page&qstateid=0a7b0c2c-3f29-41b1-a5a0-b8488e49ca57&sp=3&item=1856

Over in the GardenWeb Annuals forum, the participant jackier_gardener obtained some of the seeds and reported quite a bit of variation from the seed catalog picture, including one all green specimen with a white center. She posted pictures of a couple of those specimens. I was sorry I didn't get any of the seeds, because they might have made interesting crosses with other zinnias.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/annuals/msg0623581021557.html

ZM

Thanks for the link ZM. I wanted to try that one and still would like to but can't find them. It doesn't surprise me that there was quite a bit in color variation on Queen Red Lime. That happens quite often when you try something brand spanking new. I have Zinnia "Zahara Rose Starlight" beginning to bloom and they are basically a solid white. They are supposed to be white with a red center. Maybe the colors will get better as the plants mature. Zinnias are a real challenge here in our tropical climate and have to be spaced very generously to try to offset the likelihood of powdery mildew.

Jon,

Powdery mildew is always a possibility with zinnias. As usual, prevention is the best cure. I like to give my zinnias frequent baths in a product called GreenCure® because it is very safe to use. http://www.megagro.com/greencure.htm

It was developed at Cornell University by Dr. Ken Horst http://www.greencure.net/what_is_greencure.asp as a superior alternative to homemade sodium bicarbonate formulas http://www.greencure.net/why_is_greencure_fungicide_better.asp and it is effective against several plant diseases, http://www.greencure.net/plant_diseases.asp including Powdery Mildew. http://www.greencure.net/powdery_mildew.asp

Incidentally, Dr. Ken Horst is the author of Westcott's Plant Disease Handbook.

http://www.amazon.com/Westcotts-Plant-Disease-Handbook-Kenneth/dp/1402045840/ref=ed_oe_h

I think I will have to wait for that book to come out in a paperback edition. That's a little pricey. After dumping all those links on you, I should say that I am in no way associated with the GreenCure product or any of its vendors. I just use the stuff because it is safe and I feel comfortable using it frequently.

ZM

Thanks for the information ZM. Ironically, I am a graduate of Cornell University. LOL Perhaps I may give GreenCure a try. This summer I really added some space between my zinnia plants and have been spraying them with Daconil. There has been some improvement combating powdery mildew, but its still a major issue on most zinnias with the exception being "Profusion" zinnias. Most people do not even attempt them here in our rainy, humid tropical climate. The late day and evening rains are the worst. The zinnias get soaked right before the sun goes down. That's a bad combination.

Jon,

"Most people do not even attempt them here in our rainy, humid tropical climate. The late day and evening rains are the worst. The zinnias get soaked right before the sun goes down. That's a bad combination."

Wet weather promotes many foliage diseases of zinnias, both bacterial and fungal. But powdery mildew is favored by dry, humid, cool conditions, with limited sunlight. PM spores cannot germinate in water.

ZM

Hello there, Does anyone mind if I jump in and ask a question? I planted both 'State Fair' mixed Zinnias and a mixed cactus type and they're all blooming as singles with normal petals. Why is that? So far each has only bloomed one flower, so will the later blooms be double and cactus? Or will they stay single?

Thanks,
Steven

Perhaps it's something else then, maybe fungal. The lowest foliage starts to develop a white powdery layer on it and then the foliage starts to turn brown. For the most part it only occurs on zinnias. Occasionally I will also see it happening on gerbera daisies and echinacea, but not at the same level. I've read many articles stating zinnias generally do not perform well in Florida because of powdery mildew. I just assumed that's what I am experiencing.
Jon