Zinnia: Canary Bird (Zinnia elegans)
SKU:
$1.00
$1.00 - $5.60
$1.00
per item
This variety has large, 4-5 inch bright yellow dahlia-type flowers. Zinnias are easy to grow, and bloom quickly to fill your garden or patio with color all summer. They'll keep blooming all through a hot season, and make wonderful cut flowers. Butterflies and hummingbirds will be attracted to them too.
Scientific Name: Zinnia elegans
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Bloom): Spring to Fall
Start Indoors: Yes
Start Outdoors: Yes
Light: Sun. Zinnias require full sun. They thrive in hot areas as long as they get enough moisture.
Water: Zinnias need to be watered if there is less than an inch of rain each week, sooner if they appear to be wilting.
Feeder: They like rich soil and appreciate a slow-release fertilizer in the spring when they are planted and a booster shot of fertilizer in mid- to late simmer.
Containers?: Yes
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes. Butterflies, Bees, hummingbirds.
Height: 24-36"
Spacing: 18-24"
Sow Depth: 1/4”
Produces: Large, 4-5 inch bright yellow dahlia-type flowers.
USDA Grow Zone: 3a-9b
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Bloom): Spring to Fall
Start Indoors: Yes
Start Outdoors: Yes
Light: Sun. Zinnias require full sun. They thrive in hot areas as long as they get enough moisture.
Water: Zinnias need to be watered if there is less than an inch of rain each week, sooner if they appear to be wilting.
Feeder: They like rich soil and appreciate a slow-release fertilizer in the spring when they are planted and a booster shot of fertilizer in mid- to late simmer.
Containers?: Yes
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes. Butterflies, Bees, hummingbirds.
Height: 24-36"
Spacing: 18-24"
Sow Depth: 1/4”
Produces: Large, 4-5 inch bright yellow dahlia-type flowers.
USDA Grow Zone: 3a-9b
Soil Preference:
Soil pH: 6.0-6.5 Zinnia prefers a fertile, humus-rich soil that drains well.
Soil Preparation:
Compost (Nitrogen), 2", in top 6" of soil, 1 time: Apply 2" of compost as a mulch to help suppress weeds and provide nutrients.
Soil pH: 6.0-6.5 Zinnia prefers a fertile, humus-rich soil that drains well.
Soil Preparation:
Compost (Nitrogen), 2", in top 6" of soil, 1 time: Apply 2" of compost as a mulch to help suppress weeds and provide nutrients.
For early flowers, start indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frosts are expected. Use trays or pots and a good sowing compost. Seeds should be spaced at least 1" apart. The seeds need light to germinate, so “just cover” the seeds with a sprinkling of fine, sieved soil. Seeds will germinate in 7-14 days. Keep soil moderately moist during germination. When plants are 1-2" in height, transplant to 3" pots and grow on. Zinnias are sensitive to root disturbance, so be especially careful when transplanting.
Gradually acclimatize indoor started seedlings outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and weather has warmed considerably. Plant out 25 to 10-12" apart. Add garden compost to the soil if it is heavy or infertile.
Sow seeds where the plants are to be grown in spring after the last frost, and in an area with full sun. Zinnia prefers fertile, rich, and well-drained soil, average soil is acceptable, but if you add compost and all-purpose fertilizer before sowing, the blooms will be lusher. Sow seeds 2 to 3" apart in rows 12" apart. Barely cover seeds with soil; they need light to germinate. Keep soil moist until seeds germinate, in 5 to 10 days. When 2" tall thin the seedlings to 10 to 12" apart.
They will reward you with hundreds of colorful flowers for just a little care. If you are growing some of the older, heirloom varieties of zinnias, a little pinching back in early summer will make them bushier and produce side branches with more flowers. There is typically little problem growing zinnias, except in extremely humid conditions where a powdery mildew can sometimes form. Protect young plants from slugs and snails. Deadhead spent flowers frequently to prolong flowering. Water regularly. Water deeply by soaking soil and avoid spraying foliage.
Saving seeds of zinnia saving could not be easier, you not only get the colors you want, but you can also select seeds from the healthiest plants. Do this, and in a couple of generations of seeds, you will have developed your own strain of zinnias selected to perform well in your conditions. In late summer let some zinnias go to seed. The seeds are easy to collect and store for next year. Wait until they are fully dry on the plant, then clean out the old petals and store at room temperature.
Pretty Zinnias attract hummingbirds which eat whiteflies. Whiteflies are commonly found on some vegetable plants such as bean, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, okra, potato, tomato, squash, and sweet potato. Alternately the pastel varieties of zinnias can be used as a trap crop for Japanese beetles. Japanese beetles commonly are found on host plants such as: Acer (maples), Asparagus officinalis (asparagus), Glycine max (soybean), Malus (ornamental species apple), Prunus (stone fruit including plums, peaches etc), Rheum hybridum (rhubarb), Rosa (roses), Rubus (blackberry, raspberry), Tilia (limes), Ulmus (elms), Vitis (grapes), Zea mays (corn). All zinnias attract bees and other insect pollinators.
Suggested Varieties
Asparagus: Mary Washington (Heirloom) (Asparagus officinalis)
$1.00 - $5.60
This member of the lily family originated in the Mediterranean countries; the ancient Greeks and Romans greatly favored it. According to legend, Julius Caesar required his asparagus to be served with melted butter. By the 16th century, the kings of England and France had claimed it as their special delicacy, causing the vegetable to be nicknamed the "food of kings." Louis XIV of France had his own supply growing year round in greenhouses, since he greatly enjoyed it. In the Renaissance, asparagus was considered an elegant vegetable and often found at the tables of the wealthy. Asparagus came to America with the colonists, and has since grown wild all over the United States.
Beans: Kentucky Wonder Pole (Heirloom) (Phaseolus vulgaris)
$1.00 - $5.60
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First appearing in the late 1800's, Kentucky Wonder Pole beans are descended from an old variety of pole bean called Texas Pole. When first introduced, Kentucky Wonder had the name of Old Homestead. In 1877, James J. H. Gregory & Sons made it available in their catalog. It immediately became widely popular for its flat, stringless pods that could be eaten fresh or dried for soup beans.
Beans: Lazy Housewife Pole (Heirloom) (Phaseolus vulgaris)
$1.00 - $5.60
2015 Bean of the Year. Brought to America by German immigrants and first listed in W. Atlee Burpee’s 1888 catalog. These beans were so-named because they were the first beans to not require destringing! Originally cultivated in Central America, from Mexico to Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The smaller beans are thought to have been cultivated in Mexico as long as 7,000 years ago, while the larger beans were cultivated in Peru starting 8,000 years ago. High in protein, easy to grow, dry and cook, they have sustained mankind for millennia.
Bean: Royalty Purple Pod Green (Heirloom) (Phaseolus vulgaris)
$1.00 - $5.60
Royalty Purple Pod Green bean will add beautiful color to your garden with it's purple foliage and purple flowers. The bright purple pods are 5" long, stringless and turn green when cooked. This beautiful bush bean was introduced by Billy Hepler Seed Company in 1957.
Corn: Country Gentleman-Open Pollinated (Heirloom) (Zea mays)
$1.00 - $5.60
Country Gentleman corn, a heirloom variety, is the most well known variety of shoepeg corn. Named for the similarity of its kernels to wooden pegs used in shoe making, shoepeg corn is characterized by small, irregular white kernels of unsurpassed tenderness and sweetness. The American South has made this type of corn its own, and it is virtually unrecognized in other areas of the United States. Country Gentleman was first offered for sale in 1890 by S. D. Woodruff & Sons.
Corn: Golden Bantam-Open Pollinated (Heirloom) (Zea mays)
$1.00 - $5.60
A Greenfield, Massachusetts native named J. G. Pickett is credited with developing this marvelous variety of corn. Later, seed expert E. L. Coy sent it to Burpee with the note, "you now own the very richest and sweetest corn ever known."
Corn, Popcorn: Shaman's Blue (Hybrid) Open Pollinated (Zea mays)
$1.00 - $5.60
Blue corn originated in the Andes Mountains of Peru, where the native peoples usually ground it into flour for cooking. Indians of Mexico and the southwestern United States also widely used this corn, since its dryness made it an excellent flour corn and gave it good resistance to disease. This exciting blue popcorn receives high marks for both visual and taste appeal. The unique blue/purple kernel pops into mounds of snow white popcorn that will satisfy any popcorn lover with its slightly sweet flavor.
Cucumber: Lemon (Heirloom) (Cucumis sativus)
$1.00 - $5.60
Historians generally agree that the first cucumbers grew in India's Himalayan Mountains over 3,000 years ago. From this region they expanded into Greece and Rome; the Romans most likely spread this vegetable to the rest of Europe. The cucumber was widely grown by native Americans through the influence of the Spanish and other explorers. Cucumbers continue to be a vital part of traditional cuisine in Russia and many parts of Asia; the greatest variety of colors and shapes of this vegetable can still be found in its Asian birthplace. Lemon cucumbers in particular can be traced back to the gardens of the 1890s.
Cucumber: Marketmore 76' (Heirloom) (Cucumis sativus)
$1.00 - $5.60
Historians generally agree that the first cucumbers grew in India's Himalayan Mountains over 3,000 years ago. From this region they expanded into Greece and Rome; the Romans most likely spread this vegetable to the rest of Europe. The cucumber was widely grown by native Americans through the influence of the Spanish and other explorers. Cucumbers continue to be a vital part of traditional cuisine in Russia and many parts of Asia; the greatest variety of colors and shapes of this vegetable can still be found in its Asian birthplace. Marketmore cucumbers in particular were developed at Cornell University of New York, but Dr. Henry Munger.
Cucumber: Mexican Sour Gherkin (Heirloom) (Melothria scabra)
$1.00 - $5.60
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Melothria scabra is a vine grown for its edible fruit. Fruit are about the size of grapes and taste like cucumbers with a tinge of sourness. Vernacular names include mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin, cucamelon, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour cucumber and pepquinos. This plant is native to Mexico and Central America, where it is called sandiita (little watermelon). It is believed to have been a domesticated crop before western contact began.
Cucumber: National Pickling (Heirloom) (Cucumis sativus)
$1.00 - $5.60
National Pickling cucumbers in particular come from the research of George Starr of Michigan State University, who was commissioned by the National Pickle Packers Association to produce a pickle that would perform equally well for small and large pickles. The resulting cucumber excelled all expectations when it was offered to the public in 1924.
Cucumber: Sumter (Heirloom) (Cucumis sativus)
$1.00 - $5.60
Perfect for pickling, this disease resistant cucumber variety produces blocky, slightly tapered, medium green fruit with white spines. Widely adapted for growing in all regions, for home or market. Tender annual 4' vines, 5" fruit. Disease Resistant to Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew, Alternaria Leaf Spot and tolerant to Cucumber Mosaic Virus.