I just LOVE Zinnias! They are so bright, happy and colourful and always brighten up the day. I do not know of any flower with more zing than a zinnia!!!
They are such easy plants to cultivate, growing quickly and blooming heavily and providing long-lasting colour in the Summer flower bed, as well as attracting bees, birds and butterflies.
The Zinnia genus (Photo 1 below) belong to the sunflower tribe (Heliantheae) (Photo 2 below) and the daisy family (Asteraceae) (photo 3 below) and and comprises of 22 species of annuals, perennials and small shrubs, though the species, with which we are most familiar, Zinnia elegans, is an annual. 
Since selective breeding began in the 19th century, there are now over 100 cultivars and an increasing number of interspecific hybrids. 
They were named after the German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn (1727 – 1759).
Distribution and Habitat:
Zinnias are native prairie plants, which grow in the scrub and dry grasslands from the South-West United States (the majority of species) to Argentina, South America ( a few species), with the centre of diversity being Mexico, so they love hot temperatures, full sun and long hot Summers and are very drought-tolerant.
Description:
Zinnias come in a huge range of shapes, sizes and colours, so there is a zinnia to suit every situation! Even within the one plant, the shape of its blooms vary widely.
The classic zinnia has a long sturdy single erect stem, 10 t0 100 cm tall, with soft downy opposite stalkless linear to ovate pale to mid green leaves
and topped by a single flower.
Zinnia elegans has tall forms and dwarf varieties like the knee-high Magellan series (35 cm or 14 inches tall) and the tiny Thumbelina series (15-20 cm or 6 to 8 inches), while Zinnia angustifolia, especially the Crystal series is a creeping ground cover and is extremely drought-tolerant.
The Profusion series is a cross between Z. elegans and Z. angustifolia and has good disease-resistance.
Flowers range from the simple single daisy-like form with an open centre and conspicuous disc and ray florets to semi-double and double forms (most modern varieties), the disc florets of the latter being much less obvious or absent. 
The ‘true’ flowers, which produce the nectar are the tiny yellow florets.
They have many different forms, described as : Cactus/ quill-like (long narrow petals); dahlia type; pompom spheres or buttons and domes; stars; and spiders. I love the form of the buds and the emerging quills!
They come in every colour, except for blue, and I have even seen two different coloured flowers on the one plant. As they age, the colours change and deepen.
Here in Australia, they bloom for a long time from Summer (end of January) through to Autumn (April/May).
Cultivation and propagation:
Zinnias are such easy tough plants to grow! I sowed the seed of Lambley’s Dahlia Flowered Mix in late 2015, the first year of my cutting garden, resulting in masses of flowers! 
They self-seeded with plants coming up in the nearby flower and vegetable beds in the Summer of 2016-2017 and I even had a few last season, though I think it is now time to sow fresh seed!
Lambleys have a number of different hybrids. See: https://lambley.com.au/flower-seed-catalogue/z?items_per_page=25.
Zinnias are propagated from seed and should be sown directly into the garden, as their developing roots do not like disturbance, though having said that, I have transplanted zinnias once they have grown into sturdy young plants. They should be sown after the last frost and when the soil is warm. David Lambley often sows his seed in late November, early December, so I still have time to get some new seed sown!
Sow seeds 1 cm deep and 8 cm apart, thinning to 30 cm apart when the first true leaves have formed, so there is plenty of air flow and powdery mildew doesn’t develop. A 60 cm tall plant will need a space of 45 cm between plants.
They can also be started indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost and sown in peat pots, which can be planted straight into the garden.
Sow in fertile humus-rich well-drained soil in full sun and keep the soil moist, but not soggy, for young plants. Once they are established, only water as required (once a week if that!) and always water the base of the plant (never overhead) in the early morning, so the foliage and flowers have time to dry off before the evening.
Avoid cold draughts and wind, especially for the taller varieties. Otherwise, being prairie plants, they are tough, withstanding drought and tolerant of poor soils, including hard clay. They will shade out the weeds and do not require mulch.
Seed usually germinates in 7 to 10 days and it takes 60 to 70 days (seed to flower) for the plants to bloom. Deadhead regularly to extend the flowering season. Pinching back the plants will result in a bushier plant and constant trimming encourages further blooms.
Diseases include:
Powdery mildew: Plant disease-resistant varieties like Zahara zinnias or the Profusion series; never water overhead; ensure plenty of air circulation and avoid overcrowding; camouflage tall, disease-affected stems with a foreground of other plants; and finally, live with it! It only affects the leaves and stems, not the wonderful flowers, though of course, disease-affected plants can be removed if too unsightly!
Leaf spot and leaf blight: also caused by fungi. To prevent, remove the debris from the base of the plant and keep the stems clean. Long wet Summers can be a problem!
Save the seed by removing the old dried spent blooms and harvesting the small arrow-head shaped seeds. Store seed in a cool dark dry place, then sow directly in the following late Spring.
Uses:
Garden Plant
Because of their huge variety in shape, colour and size; their fast propagation, ease of growth and low maintenance; their drought-tolerance and toughness; and their long-lasting colourful displays all Summer, zinnias are a very popular garden flower, especially in cottage gardens and cutting gardens.
There is a zinnia for every situation. The tall forms of Z. elegans look great at the back of the border, while the dwarf forms look wonderful along paths. Z. angustifolia, especially the Crystal series, is often grown at the front of borders, in raised beds or containers and as a ground cover. They can even grow in weightless environments like the International Space Station!
They also make excellent companion plants for tomatoes, capsicums and beans- they self-seeded to the tomato patch and next to the beans last year!
They attract bees for pollination and birds, especially hummingbirds, which eliminate white fly, and are a butterfly magnet par excellence!
The latter prefer the flat single varieties rather than the double forms.
Floristry
With their long vase life (5 to 7 days), huge range in colour and form and sturdy tall stems, zinnias are also popular in the cut flower trade.
Their stems should be harvested at an angle above the bud joint, the bottom 2 cm recut on a sharp angle and the leaves stripped off most of the stem.
Use preservative in the vase and replenish the water daily.
They are not ethylene sensitive.
In the Language of Flowers, a bouquet of mixed zinnias mean ‘Thinking of absent friends’,
while yellow zinnias denote ‘daily remembrance’;
white zinnias ‘pure goodness’; 
magenta zinnias ‘lasting affection’;
and red zinnias ‘steadfastness and familial ties’.
Obviously, I was thinking about absent friends in April when making my colourful zinnia cushion!
In my post on early Spring at the beginning of October, we were in the throes of Spring blossoms, Dutch crocus, primroses, tulips and other Spring bulbs.
They were soon followed by ranunculus; Crested, Bearded and Dutch iris; tree and intersectional peonies; and now, our glorious roses!
The garden is full of colour and scent and the birds, bees and I are in seventh heaven! Here are some of our locals: a magpie, a baby galah and of course, Oliver, the quiet and sociable King Parrot!
House
We transplanted the Rugosa rose hedge from down by the brutish cottonwood poplar last Winter to the driveway and even though the soil is tough, these roses are also and can probably handle it! They will provide beautiful scent for passerbys and mask any odours from the garbage bins, as well as a beautiful sight from our bedroom window! Mme Georges Bruant (white) and Frau Dagmar Hastrup (light pink) are already up and blooming, but Roseraie de l’Haie has yet to find her feet, having been the closest to and worst affected by root competition from the giant poplar!
When we come out our back door, we are greeted by the sight of our magnificent Banksia rose, which has now fully recovered to its former glory, as well as the sweetly scented white and gold honeysuckle.
Treasure Garden
It never fails to surprise me. I discovered that the Rhodohypoxis baurii survived after all and this year, had my first Lily-of-the-Valley flower!
In order: Coconut Ice; Doris; Valda Wyatt; Sugar Plum and oldfashioned favourite, Mrs Sinkins with the strongest fragrance of the lot!
A dear friend gave us a number of corms to plant at the top of our future lavender bank and they produced a range of colours from the dark purple of early Spring to a bronze, gold, royal blue, pale blue, pale mauve and white.
We were also mystified by another different iris from my sister’s garden, eventually identifying it by its white crest as Iris tectorum, the iris found in the thatched rooves of Japanese and Chinese houses.
Soho Bed
… to the blowsy chaos of late Spring, as can be seen in the photos below.
The rose have been glorious: Mr. Lincoln and The Alnwick Rose;
The Alnwick Rose;
Just Joey;
and Fair Bianca.
Cutting Garden
In the shady bed, the pansies persisted into late Spring, with magical foxgloves and aquilegia replacing the earlier Dutch Crocus.
And now, the dahlias are starting their season, both in the cutting garden and underneath the Albertine rose frame on the shed wall.
We have also been feasting on fresh strawberries for breakfast with yoghurt, on their own with cream for dessert and also in homemade strawberry ice cream and rhubarb and strawberry icecream!
At the back of this bed are new hollyhocks and peony poppies from last season.
The perennial bed has established well with rhubarb, asparagus, raspberries coming into fruit, angelica producing seed and Russian and standard comfrey in flower.
Peaches, plums, elderflowers, crabs and apples are also developing. 
At the bottom corner of the garden, buttery Albéric Barbier is in full bloom,
We return to the main garden through the future chook arch,
smothered in pink Hybrid Musk, Cornelia,
and Climbing Tea Rose, Sombreuil,
with a new vigorous Clematis texensis ‘Princess Diana’ rapidly clambering its way up the latter’s stems and flowering for the very first time- a real thrill!!!
Moon Bed
Starting with the mauve bearded iris and honesty,
it was followed by six beautiful intersectional peony blooms, their colour reminiscent of moonshine….
very similar in fact to the beautiful blooms of Troilus:
and finally the stunning David Austin roses: cream and gold roses: Golden Celebration, Jude the Obscure, Windermere and Troilus;
Main Pergola
The roses are clambering over the top now with their heads bowing down and are just so exquisitely beautiful!
On the lower side, creamy Devoniensis,
and now New Dawn,
all backed by choisya, allspice and the snowball tree in full bloom. The photo below demonstrates the reason snowball trees got their name!
The upper side sports Adam,
Souvenir de St Anne
and my favourite Mme Alfred Carrière!
Next to Adam, our tree peony bloomed for the first time this year- such a spectacle!
And now, Philadelphus virginalis is treating us with her beautiful fragrance.
On the other end of the pergola, the Michelia ‘White Caviar‘ gave a us a totally different olfactory feast in mid-Spring,
followed by the everchanging hues of Weigela.
The transplanting of the white hybrid musk hedge of roses last Winter was also a great success and all roses have experienced a great improvement in their health!
We were also thrilled to see all the bluebells from my sister’s garden come up at the same time.
Down in the Tea Garden, all the mints have returned after their Winter dormancy and the Maigold holds court, being one of the first roses to flower this year and still flowering!
which is smothered with Rêve d’Or
and Alister Stella Gray.
A blue Clematis macropetala ‘Pauline’ is climbing up through the latter rose, but has yet to flower for the first time.
The Albertine trellis has been spectacular in its second year with an extended flowering season and many many salmon-pink scented blooms.
The dahlias are now starting to appear under its petticoat!
Shed Garden
though Mutabilis and Archiduc Joseph also bloom throughout the season.
The garden really looked a picture for the opening day of our latest venture, appropriately titled ‘Candelo Blooms’, selling handmade creations from the old shed.
It has been a real labour of love and a long time in the planning and implementation, but we finally made it! My daughter Jen designed and painted the flyer and signs,
while Kirsten Rose sold her beautiful timeless ceramics.
This clever lady also designed another beautiful flyer for future promotions.
We had a wonderful day- very well-attended by market visitors and many locals, who all really enjoyed the old shed, open garden and music provided by my beautiful daughters. We were even visited for the first time by a Tawny Frogmother Mum and baby, obviously very intrigued by all the festivities!
It was such a fun day! Here is a photo of Ross and I outside the shed!
Lilies come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colours and have been extensively hybridized over 4000 years, being one of our oldest cultivated plants and having thousands of cultivars. It is little wonder that it is so easy to get a bit confused and overwhelmed by the variety! Here is a brief rundown of their description; categorisation (species and hybrids); propagation and cultivation; history and mythology; and uses.
Description: 
Flowers are solitary or borne in racemes or umbels at the tip of the stem from late Spring through to late Autumn, their blooming times dependent on the variety, but most blooming from mid to late Summer (July and August in Europe).
Each flower has 6 petal-like segments or tepals in a variety of shapes:
They face upwards, outwards or downwards (pendant) and have a huge colour range.
Categorisation
Division 6: Trumpet or Aurelian Hybrids 
Propagation and Cultivation
Uses
Food
Medicine
I learnt so much about lilies through my research for this post and am now keen to trying growing some of the species lilies, including the Turk’s Cap lilies. Our lilies have been a little later this year, their buds not yet open. Maybe, they will be in another week, when I am posting an update on our late Spring Garden. What a visual and olfactory treat it has been! And there is a surprise in store…the next phase of our Candelo Blooms adventure! See you then!
I could easily make the chook runner; the flower cushion; the Nick-Nack Sew a Patch bag and the Home Sweet Home panel myself! The projects are an excellent indicator of the popularity of Yolanda’s home sewing classes for children.
There is also a large introductory section on the meaning and importance of play; the three stages of play; appropriate toys for each stage; and outdoor play.
I particularly love the flapper wax doll heads, the cloth mask faces made in Belgium and the antique French boudoir half dolls.
After an introductory chapter on making the basic cloth doll, Creative Cloth Doll Couture focuses on costumes and accessories.
Many of their patterns can be sourced on websites like: 
The chapter on animals starts with notes on wiring, manes and tails, ears and eyes, horns, decorated heads and moveable legs before describing a variety of separate animals: a dachshund, reindeer, cow, horses and deer, a sitting cat and a tiger, a lizard and toad, and a magical griffin.
While many of the toys shown in the colour plates look a little dated now, the use of modern materials and bright colours would totally revolutionize their appearance and I love the bold black-and-white designs in this book. It allows for plenty of individuality and creativity in the execution of its patterns.
Countryside Softies by Amy Adams 2011 is another favourite toymaking book with 28 very cute and whimsical woollen creatures made out of recycled felted old jumpers or blankets, though I prefer to use ordinary felt, having had to do a major clean-out of my severely-clogged front-loading washing machine after trying to felt an old jumper. I think having an old top-loader expressly for felting would be ideal!
There are introductory notes on fabrics and stuffing materials; washing instructions and storage; and sewing and stuffing with detailed notes on materials; patterns and step-by-step instructions for assembling and stuffing each project.
They are lovely patterns and I am keen to make more, especially the mice (little grey mouse in photo above); the donkey; and the African elephant.
Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Soft Friends From Cast-Off Socks and Gloves by Miyako Kanamori 2005
It resulted in a further Mother-and-Daughter workshop for Mothers Day, where my two daughters and I made three delightful dolls based on Helen’s pattern Petal and Flower Bud. Jen made a green doll, Caro a blue doll and mine is in the middle!
In late August 2000, I treated myself with a good friend to Millenium Madness, the first Doll-O-Rama Cloth Doll Symposium at Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, in Brisbane, Queensland. It was wonderfully stimulating and creative! See if you can find me!
We were given a showbag of goodies, including a cute sun badge, each one unique. 
Geraldene Just was next with her highly creative Shellyback Bogles, mythical creatures who arrived from Scotland as stowaways in the convict ships’ ballast and went on to colonise the drains and sewers of Brisbane. Because they lived in dark places, their colours were dull and neutral, their character relying more on textures and feel.
Another very happy and joyful dollmaker, who shares my love of colour, is another American dollmaker, Patti Medaris Culea (
