Week 31, Year 3: Petunia Parade

Petunias have always been a favorite of mine. The past few years, I’ve planted two varieties of purple wave petunias and let them climb down the railing. This year, however, I had to make a change because I purchased all of my flowers at a different nursery. So, I expanded.  This year’s four petunia varieties play star and supporting roles in the garden.
Starring Roles
The two leading ladies are considered “designer” petunias – which are basically exotic hybrids that have been cultivated by a specific grower to be particularly unique or showy.
Antique Shades Petunias
These petunias are aptly named. They have a romantic shabby-chic-ness to them. Their frilly edges and fading flowers make them look like they’ve actually been “antiqued”. 

Sticking to the motif, the flowers seem to change color over time, similar to an antiqued cabinet.  The flowers start out with a light, romantic pink fading into light yellow and green centers. However, two months later, the flowers are a deep pink with a golden yellow throat. You can really see the difference in the photos below which show the progression from light to dark flowers.

“Pretty Much Picasso” Petunias

Picasso Petunias were developed by Proven Winners and are relatively new to the scene, but they have quickly become a crowd favorite. With their bright color scheme and trailing waves, Picassos are hard to resist.
Unlike the antique petunias, the link between the petunia and its name is unclear. While Pablo Picasso was known for his bright paintings, these flowers seem unworthy of his name. Unlike a Picasso painting, Picasso Petunias do not reflect the distortion and layering of cubist art, but have very sharp features – the bright purple flowers feature a crisp lime green edge. I have not found much information on the name, so I’m thinking some marketer thought it would make them sound more unique and interesting to name them after the iconic painter.  

Picassos are wave petunias. Proven Winners advertises them as “vigorous” and they weren’t kidding – my Picassos have overtaken the two containers I’ve planted them in. I’ve cut them back twice and they’ve grown back just as strong.  Despite this, I’ve really enjoyed them and I hope I can find them again next year.
Supporting Roles
Not to be forgotten, my other petunias are playing a supporting role in window boxes and combo pots. Each adds its own brand of cheerfulness and color to its pot.
Blue Vein Double Petunias

Double petunias are exactly what they sound like. The cultivator grows two petunia blooms on one stem, creating an extra full flower. My double petunias are wave petunias living in a purple themed window box. Named “blue vein”, my double petunias are a light purple with (you guessed it) a dark blue vein traveling the blossoms.
                             
My one complaint about double petunias is that they are not self-cleaners like regular petunias. So, they need to be deadheaded, but the dead flowers are not that easy to remove since the stems are coated with the same sticky substance as regular petunias.

Suncatcher Yellow Trailing Petunias
             
Last, but not least, is the suncatcher trailing petunia -- a cheerful white petunia with a bright yellow throat. This sunny petunia is residing at the base of a small ornamental tree. Its trailing elements are the perfect effect for this pot.  The stems cheerfully spill out over the sides of the green container and create weight at the bottom of an otherwise tall focal point.  The slightly smaller blooms also make a great complement to a combo pot.