Zinnia elegans 'Queeny Lime with Blush'

The latest addition to this wonderful series, Zinnia ‘Queeny Lime with Blush’ has a wonderful ombré gradient on their petals, the coloration transitions from a soft lime green to a muted dusty raspberry.
Visually the blooms are incredibly stunning, and when designing with them the colours make them an excellent flower for bridging between different colour spectrums. Florists love the Queeny series as they are able to blend the flowers seamlessly with other colours in the more muted and soft wedding colour palettes.

The ‘Queeny’ series is an astounding achievement in floral breeding. A unique zinnia, exotic and unusual, with semi-double and fully double blossoms that are layered thickly with a stunning crown.
At a height of around 75cm (30in) and around 45cm (18in) wide, the well-branched, upright plants do not need pinching and produce fully double, 7.5cm (3in) flowers, held on long sturdy stems ideal for long lasting cut flower arrangements.
A reliable work-horse of a flower in eye-catching colours, these new varieties are tolerant of hot temperatures and increasingly resistant to mildew, they have larger root systems which means that they will transplant successfully.
This dramatic flower is excellent for mixing in bouquets or left to do its thing in the flower bed. Cut them early for the optimum intriguing colour show, they can last up to two weeks in the vase.

For some years now, we’ve seen an increasing range of annuals, for cutting and for summer display, in colours which are described as 'antique'. Unexpected colour combinations, with a slightly distressed air to them and with the dusty and faded look of old padded furniture. In recent years we’ve also started to see the comeback of the Zinnia. Easy to grow, they provide an extended and prolific display. Now, these two trends have come together with the introduction of a lovely new zinnia, primarily intended for as a cut flower.

Previously and widely known as the 'Queen' series. Over the years, as the breeder has developed new colours in the series he has transitioned the series name from 'Queen' to 'Queeny.' To respect his wishes, we have updated the product names accordingly.

Sowing: March to July
Zinnias grow quickly and may bloom in just 45 days. Successive sowing every few weeks beginning from April through early July will ensure continuous flowering throughout summer, from July to first frosts.
Start seed indoors in trays 4 to 6 weeks before last frost; transplant out after all danger of frost has passed. Zinnias can also be direct seeded once weather has warmed.

Sowing Indoors: March to April
For early flowers, start indoors four to six weeks before the last frosts are expected. Use trays or pots and a good sowing compost. Seeds should be spaced at least 2.5cm (1in) apart. The seeds need light to germinate, so “just cover” the seeds with a sprinkling of fine, sieved soil. Seeds will germinate in 7 to 14 days. Keep soil moderately moist during germination.
When plants are 3 to 5cm (1 to 2in) in height, transplant to 7cm (3in) pots and grow on. Zinnias are sensitive to root disturbance, so be especially careful when transplanting. Gradually acclimatise indoor started seedlings outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and weather has warmed considerably. Plant out 25 to 30cm (10 to 12in) apart. Add garden compost to the soil if it is heavy or infertile.

Sowing Direct: April to July
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 fertiliser before sowing, the blooms will be lusher.
Sow seeds 5 to 7cm (2 to 3in) apart in rows 30cm (12in) apart. Barely cover seeds with soil; they need light to germinate. Keep soil moist until seeds germinate, in 5 to 10 days. When 5cm (2in) tall thin the seedlings to 25 to 30cm (10 to 12in) apart.

Cultivation:
Zinnias require full sun. They thrive in hot areas as long as they get enough moisture. They like rich soil and appreciate a slow-release fertiliser in the spring when they are planted and a booster shot of fertiliser in mid- to late simmer. Zinnias need to be watered if there is less than an inch of rain each week, sooner if they appear to be wilting. They will reward you with hundreds of colourful 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:
Saving seeds of zinnia saving could not be easier, you not only get the colours 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.

Cut Flowers:
The first blooms of some Zinnia are always disappointing for some reason - like making the first pancake, they come out awkward and distorted and usually very single. I’m not sure what the reason is, but don’t fret if they aren’t pretty at first. Simply cut out the first bloom and let them send up new stems.
Zinnias are the perfect cut flower--the more you cut, the more you get. When cutting the blooms for the vase, trim off all the foliage; unlike the long-lasting blooms, it does not age well.
To see if the flowers are ready for cutting, hold the stem about 20cm (8in) below the flower and gently shake. If the stem is droopy or bends much at all, it is not quite ready to cut. If the stem is stiff and remains erect, it is ready to harvest.
If flower preservative is added to the water, zinnias should last 7 to 10 days in the vase.

Plant Uses:
Cottage/Informal Garden, Cut Flowers, Flowers Borders and Beds. Container Gardening.

Origin:
Zinnias are annuals, shrubs, and sub-shrubs native primarily to North America, with a few species in South America. They inhabit scrub and dry grassland in an area stretching from the Southwestern United States to South America, with a centre of diversity in Mexico.
There are more than a dozen species of zinnias, members of the Asteraceae family, but very few of them are grown in home gardens.
Zinnia elegans, also known as Zinnia violacea, is the most familiar species, originally from Mexico and thus a warm–hot climate plant. Its leaves are lance-shaped and sandpapery in texture, and height ranges from 15cm to 1 meter. Tall, mid-sized, and dwarf varieties of this species have been grown for decades, and flowers are available in a wide range of colours.

Nomenclature:
For decades, Zinnias have been the flowering annual of choice for spreading glorious colours throughout the garden as well as for cutting to bring indoors. But it wasn't always so. When the Spanish first saw zinnia species in Mexico, they thought the flower was so unattractive they named it mal de ojos, or 'sickness of the eye!'
When seeds of zinnias were collected and brought to Europe in the 18th century, the plants were not much to look at. Named for the German botanist Dr. Johann Gottfried Zinn, who wrote the first description of the flower, the genus Zinnia had to wait for the mid-19th century to become successful in the garden.
The species name elegans simply means 'elegant'.
When Zinnias were introduced to Europeans, the flowers were referred to as 'poorhouse flower' and 'everybody's flower' because they were so common and easy to grow. They were also once popularly called 'youth and old age' because old blooms stay fresh as new blooms open.
Years of breeding have brought striking new colours, shapes, sizes, and growing habits to the humble zinnia. No present day gardener would ever describe this versatile bloomer as anything less than eye catching.
More than 100 zinnia cultivars have appeared since breeding of the flower began. Dwarf zinnias can be as short as 25cm (10in) tall; the giants reach up to 120cm (4ft). They come in single, double, and semi-double blooms, with a variety of flower shapes. Zinnia flowers come in every colour imaginable, except blue.

‘Queen Lime with Blush’ was not the original name, it was given the unfortunate moniker at first of “Queen Lime Blotch” which undoubtedly was a very solid name but for the American market sounded rather clunky and a bit aggressive - one of the unfortunate aspects of context being lost in translation. It is speculated that the name was changed the ‘Queen Lime with Blush’ to make it more appealing.