Zinnias were an absolute roller coaster to grow.
I loved how quickly and efficiently they germinated when started from seed.
I loved how easily they hardened off and rooted when planted out in the field.
They bloomed in abundance once the heat of summer settled in.
But I hated how they looked.
That first wave of flowers were so bold and bright they felt a little immature and childish, which are wonderful but just did not suit my personal style preference. I pinched them and cared for them regardless of how I felt about them and when the second wave of blooms came in, the colors were toned down a little more and I couldn’t get over how sturdy and easy to work with they were.
I started to really appreciate the details in all of their petals and loved pairing them with scented basil for field bouquets.
After about a solid six weeks of blooms, I started noticing these beautiful peachy colors popping up between the pinks and yellows and started finding pale colors that were almost white. Oklahoma salmon took on a vintage, rose color and all of the queen lime colors started to really blend.
I learned to be more patient with the flowers and let them go a bit. The long I let them go the more beautiful they became. Shortly after I started loving them again, I came across Dawn Creek Farm’s instagram page. That’s when I really fell in love with these flowers. Kori has been breeding a stunning color palette of zinnias and I’m excited to be growing their seeds next season. Most flowers will be saved for seed until a good stock is established. But these flowers are breathtaking and will be a beautiful addition to wedding florals.
Overall, I’m excited to grow zinnias again next year with a new color palette and am can’t wait to share!
If you’re an experienced farmer or gardener, I highly recommend donating to Dawn Creek Farm‘s growing program!
If you’re a beginner and want to try growing a couple cut flowers at home, zinnias are a wonderful flower to start with! You can get seeds through Johnny’s, 3 Porch Farm, Swallowtail, etc. And Floret has a great guide on growing beautiful zinnias that you can view here.
