Orange Zinnia In Stages

Last summer I bought some zinnia flowers to grow in pots along the side wall of my long driveway, and they instantly brightened up the view.

There were many different types, colors, and shapes of these flowers, and I was lucky enough to have a variety of them.

Brand New Bud


These flowers could tolerate the full afternoon sun, and this bud was just the start of my love affair with them. I watched them grow everyday, and they were photographed more than any celebrity was.

Open Up a Bit


As the bud grew, so was the collection of my pictures. Nothing went unnoticed! I had to say thanks to digital since money was not spend in developing the pictures, and it was easy to just delete the bad ones.

A View From the Top


There were many layers in this zinnia blossom! Everything about it was fascinating, from the outside part, to the fuzzy middle. Without macro mode, I would have missed seeing the details.

Growing


Slowly the petals came up and out! The colors were just wonderful. I watched my first experience with these flowers in complete awe: when one died, another one came up, and I always had blooming flowers.

Growing Bigger


I didn't know that this zinnia lasted so long! When the outer petals grew out, the inner petals also grew, and they were amazing to watch.

Filling Out


As the flower grew, I also noticed there were "twisted strings" on the inside of the petals. These strings were so delicate, and gave the flower a sophisticated look.

Open At Last


It seemed that everything was finally in place with this zinnia. All the inner petals were formed, and all the outer petals were open.

Inner Circle


Have a closer look at the inner part of this flower! Every single petal had its own yellow twisty string and the inner petals came together like praying hands.

Full Bloom


A very busy and incredible structure! I would have missed all of these details without the macro mode in my camera. It was amazing what the camera can see, and capture.

Near The End


This zinnia was near the end since the inner petals had gone, but there were still flowers within a flower left on it.

I've collected a bag of seeds from the zinnias last year, and grew some in my pots for this summer. They are growing beautifully at the moment, but no flowers just yet. I can't wait to see them again.