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Zinnia elegans dahlia is a larger variety of the colorful and popular Zinnia. This variety, Purple Prince, has large 4 – 5 inch showy blooms. This variety makes excellent cut flowers with their long strong stems, and the more you cut, the more you get! Zinnias are prolific bloomers with a bloom season that lasts from late spring until fall. Deadhead Zinnia for the greatest amount of blooms. Hummingbirds enjoy Zinnia and butterflies too. Zinnias are also not preferred by deer. For the earliest blooms, start the seed indoors 4 – 6 weeks before the last expected frost date. Press the seed into the soil, lightly cover it and keep the seed moist. With a temperature of 75F, germination is usually in 14 days. Transplant the young plants outdoors after danger of frost has passed. Or, for areas with a long growing season, after frost danger has passed, directly sow Zinnia seed outdoors in prepared seedbeds. Zinnias prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Space plants 18 - 20 inches apart.