Ever wondered how zinnia flower blooms and what is the meaning of this flower? The following article will talk provide information regarding this pretty flower. Here's your ultimate zinnia flower-o-pedia!

Zinnia is a small flower that is native to the Mexican region, but is also found in southwest and south America. This flower is an annual flower. The zinnia plants grow instantly and blooms heavily and finally it dies during the first frost. If seeds falls on the ground, the plant can again grow quickly in the succeeding spring season. There are certain varieties that can grow as large as 3 feet tall.

Zinnia - A Gardener's Delight
Zinnias are gorgeous flowers that beautify gardens and yards. The flower comes in varied colors and numerous varieties. Zinnia flower has large and intense blooms which give a cheerful look to any garden or a yard. Znnia, appears in many different varieties from a single row of petals to a dome-shaped flower, with colors like yellow, red, white, chartreuse, purple, and lilac. The leaves of the plant are opposite and are mostly found without a stalk with a shape that varies from ovate to linear and the colors varies from pale green to bright mid green!

Zinnia is grown from the seed, most of the time. The best way to be sure that zinnia grows healthy right from the beginning, seeds should be sown in pots and then re-planted it in the yard or garden, once the seedlings are developed. Avoid planting seeds too early if you are not sure of the frost. A regular zinnia should space about 4 inches to 6 inches afar. If you have chosen a large-version of the flower, I would suggest that they should be at a distance of at least one foot from each other. Zinnia flowers bloom from mid-summer till the early frost season. The plants are quite resistant to disease and insects and if any problem occurs, you should immediately treat zinnias with fungicides or chemical repellents. Make sure these manufactured from organic substances.

Zinnias love well-drained, moist and rich soil although these plants can tolerate average to somewhat poor soils. If you add compost to your soil, it may improve the quality and fertility of the soil which will yield you healthier plants and blooms. A rich, well-fertilized soil will yield bright colored, fuller flowers. Zinnias are well resistant to chemicals in pests and insecticides. These flowers are used widely for beautiful indoor flower décor. A great idea is to cut some zinnias and arrange them in bunches for a lovely centerpiece. You can also trim a few flowers and arrange them in a large vase for an exquisite look. When these flowers are teamed up with baby's breath, the make an exotic carnation bouquet.

Zinnia Flower Meaning
The meaning of zinnia is deeper than most of the flowers blooming in the mid summer season. The flower zinnia, is a symbol of lasting love, goodness, thoughts of an absent friend, constancy and daily remembrance of good memories. The state flower of Indiana is zinnia. The meaning of the flower is different depending on its color. A yellow colored zinnia is a symbol of daily remembrance, the white zinnia represents goodness, the scarlet zinnia represents constancy, magenta zinnia is a symbol of lasting love and affection, while a mixed colored zinnia means thinking of an absent friend. The first ever flowers were discovered in early 1500s in the wilderness of Mexico. These zinnias were very unpleasant, dull and unappealing. Aztec, the Mexican emperor during the 1500s named them and it meant "eyesore". Today, the common name of zinnia is garden Cinderella, which implies the level of transformation that the flower went through.

Growing Zinnia Flowers
Here are the useful steps, if you are considering to grow one in your yard.

1. Zinnias are usually grown from seeds.
2. Zinnia plant needs well-drained, moist and fertile soil which is rich in humus. In this type of soil, the zinnias will reseed themselves in succeeding summers.
3. Zinnia flowers need full sun and good quality fertile soil to grow into healthy plants and bloom into gorgeous flowers.
4. Sow the seeds of zinnia by placing one seed in one square foot.
5. Rake the seed bed slightly and sow these seeds ¼ inch deep.
6. Add fertilizers, if required. Usually, a general purpose fertilizer works and add it once a month.
7. Water the seed bed regularly, but do not over-water as this would damage the seedling.
8. During dry spells, water the zinnias once or twice a week. Remember that the soil should be just moist and not wet.

Zinnia Care
Remember to remove all the dead flowers, so as to encourage new growth for new blooms. Trimming the back stems of zinnias that have grown long, is a great way to improve the look of large zinnias. Zinnias are annual flowers and are vulnerable to frost. Sometimes, they might survive the early frost with a little damage but hard frost cannot be resisted by zinnia flowers and they tend to wilt away.

So, with this zinnia flower information, I'm sure you would want to plant a few in your yard considering the little maintenance they require. So, spread love and affection with zinnias - Get Gardening!