Arranging Zinnias In A Vase & My Friend Jana
Cutting & Arranging Zinnias in A Vase & My Friend Jana, tips and a personal story of my adoration of these imperfectly perfect flowers – colorful little beauties that are cut and come again.
Arranging Zinnias In A Vase & My Friend Jana
A Heartfelt Story About My Friend Jana.
Peonies and hydrangeas have always been in my number two and three spots for favorite flowers, but the lovely zinnia will forever have my heart and get the number one spot as they remind me of someone special.
I shared a fondness for zinnias with my dear friend from childhood, Jana. On a last girls’ weekend at her home in Lake Forest, Illinois she placed a small bouquet beside my bed from her last zinnia harvest before the snow. That smallest charming touch was a top memory of our time together as she knew it would be. We were soul sisters when it came to “THE EXTRA” little charming touches, especially when it came to “THE EXTRA” for party planning and holiday decorating. Her last visit to my home in Alexandria, Virginia turned into two changed flights because we were exploding with our “EXTRA-NESS” amongst my twelve fully decorated Christmas trees. We were wearing matching PJ’s of course. If it had not been Christmas Eve Eve, I believe we would have had a 3rd flight change.
Jana has since passed peacefully after her 12 year battle with cancer.
As I was writing this post dedicated to Jana, I decided to look up what zinnias symbolize. I can hardly type through my tears as I share with you what I found.
Friendship, endurance, daily remembrance, goodness, and lasting affection. The Victorian meaning are thoughts of an absent friend you haven’t seen in awhile.
I will forever cherish our last visits together and I will always plant colorful zinnias on her May birthday in my garden. I will smile and think of her when the butterflies visit the blooms. SMILING!
A Few Things You Will Love About Zinnias
Zinnia Facts
- Zinnias are annuals, meaning they go from seed to flower quickly.
- Zinnias are cut and come again flowers. You will get many bouquets from a season.
- Easy to plant, simply sprinkle the seeds where you would like color in your garden, lightly cover with soil, and water those areas for a few days. Voila! Here they come.
- They are heat-hardy plants and love the hot sun.
- Butterflies and hummingbirds love zinnias because of their rainbow of colors.
- Zinnias shade out weeds.
- Drum Roll! Zinnias do reseed themselves. If the bloom drops to the ground, it is likely they will come back the following spring.
- Zinnias are edible! They make a great tea and are beautiful in salads.
Cutting & Arranging In A Vase
Zinnias have the best descriptions. stars, candy canes, buttons, & color domes are my favorite. The colors make wonderful arrangements, both alone and with other flowers.
1. Cutting The Zinnias & Prepping For Arranging
Zinnias are cut and come again flowers meaning once you cut them they will re-bloom. Where you cut them makes a difference in the sturdiness of the stems and the amount of new blooms you will get.
Pruning ZINNIAS For Sturdy plants and Multiple Blooms
When zinnias reach 10 to 12 inches tall and have 3 sets of leaves, cut the plant just above the the top set of leaves. using sharp flower pruners.
CUTTING THE ZINNIAS FROM THE PLANT For A Vase
With sharp flower pruners, snip the zinnia stem just above the leaves in accordance with the height of the vase you will use.
REMOVE THE LEAVES
Remove the leaves from the stems leaving a few for fillers.
LEVEL THE BLOOMS & CUT TO FIT VASE
Losely level the blooms and even out the stem lengths.
SHOP GARDEN TOOLS
Arranging Zinnias In A Vase
Zinnias will last in a vase for 4 to 6 days. That is just enough time for more blooms to arrive for your next arrangement.
Prepare The Water
Follow the simple instructions below for preparing fresh water for your arrangement.
Zinnia Water Solution Recipe
Ingredients
Per quart of room temperature water add…
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon bleach
Instructions
Mix the sugar, bleach, and vinegar in 1 quart of water until the sugar is dissolved.
Arrange The Zinnias
The beauty of a zinnia arrangement is the simple abandon of which they choose stand in the vase.
Gently pick up the zinnia from the leveling and cutting above adjusting colors to your preference. Drop them into the prepared water. Oh So Pretty!
Maintenance
Change the water in the arrangement every two or three days making a new solution with each change.
SHOP CRYSTAL VASES
The vintage amethyst Blenko hand blown double spout water bottle above can be found on ebay and etsy in many colors. Search: Blenko double spout hand blown water bottles
Zinnia Notes
How To Keep Zinnia Water Clear
Zinnias need a solution to keep water clear and increase vase life. Changing the water every two or three days this recipe will do the trick.
PER QUART OF FRESH ROOM TEMPERATURE WATER ADD:
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon household bleach
Mix the sugar, bleach, and vinegar in 1 quart of fresh water until the sugar is dissolved.
More About Flowers…Click Here!
More Flower Ideas
Be sure to take a peek at this lovely these pretty painted Rope Bowls, Personalized Photo Vases, and this Felted Wool Vase.
