The Year Of The Petunia

2014 is the Year to Party With a Petunia!       Every year, National Garden Bureau names one edible, one annual and one perennial as featured crops for a year. 2014 is the Year of the Petunia. NGB, along with our members, provide these tips about an annual flower enjoyed by many. Over 100 petunia images from our members can be found on the NGB website or in a Year of the Petunia presentation on Slideshare.   What’s not to like about petunias? These incredibly versatile plants come in an abundance of sensationally bold colors, are widely adaptable, vigorous, self-reliant and largely pest and disease free. They are low maintenance and drought tolerant, widely available, are a great value, sport a variety of forms and colors, and some even exhibit a light, sweet fragrance. Additionally, these fail-proof, tried-and-true beauties are easy to grow, bloom ceaselessly from late spring to fall and settle in comfortably whether planted in gardens, trailing from containers or spilling out of hanging baskets. They’re beautiful, desirable and completely irresistible to butterflies, hummingbirds and gardeners alike. Thanks to new, fashionable shapes and attractively colored blossoms, the petunia is still one of the most popular summer flowers. In short, the perfect go-to gardening friend for sunny places. History - Then Though generally treated as annuals by most gardeners, technically they are tender perennials and are members of the potato family of plants. Today’s feisty hybrids are the descendants of two lanky, tiny-flowered South American species: the buff-white flowered Petunia axillaries and the night-fragrant, lavender to purple-flowered Petunia violacea. First discovered in South America in the late 1700’s these wild varieties quickly captured the imaginations of European breeders who began crossing them in search of the perfect petunia – a plant with large beautiful flowers in a variety of colors. Following the end of World War II, the transformation in the quality of petunias came with the development of the F1 hybrids. Weddle, one of the founders of PanAmerican Seed Company, won an AAS award in 1949 for the first F1 single-flowered multiflora, ‘Silver Medal’ and in 1952 crossing a grandiflora with a multiflora producing a F1 vigorous grandiflora hybrid ‘Ballerina.’ History - Now A whole new world opened for petunias and their breeders with the development of the F1 hybrids. This made it possible to regulate their growth from the open, floppy forms to a bushier type with better weather resistance, an increasing range of colors and color-combinations and a far superior ability to weather the rigors of summer. As is quite obvious, in recent years the world of petunias has become a complex world, for there are – literally – hundreds of named petunia varieties. But a bit of advice for pairing the right petunia with your gardening needs can be summarized, in part, in the following manner. Grandiflora: large-flowered blossoms (4-5”) consisting of both single- and double-flowering cultivars form mounds of colorful solid, striped, deeply veined, variegated or edged in a contrasting shade called picotee. Grandifloras prefer a cool, dry sunny environment in protected areas and dislike hot, wet or windy conditions, and work well in both containers and beds. Multiflora: compact plants with smaller (1.5-2”) flowers than the grandifloras; however, they bloom prolifically and freely all season long. These plants have single or double flowers and are available in a rainbow of colors, often with contrasting centers or stripes. Bred primarily for the wetter climates these petunias perform admirably in adverse weather conditions especially during very hot or very wet spells. Milliflora: petite, (1-1½”) blossoms produced with wild abundance that cover the plant with beautiful vibrant colors. Perfectly suited to containers, hanging baskets, miniature gardens and as edging plants, these delicate beauties bloom earlier, do not stretch, add fullness and contrast of size and color when combined with larger blooming plants. Spreading: low-growing plants only (4-6”) in height that can spread up to 5 feet across. These are fast growing plants with excellent heat and drought tolerance, require very little maintenance, and make excellent flowering ground covers. Their greatest popularity lies in their wild profusion of blooms that tumble out of hanging baskets, window-boxes and tall containers from late spring well into late fall in milder and warmer regions. Hedgiflora – one segment of Spreading: have growth habits based on how closely the plants are spaced in the garden. Grown close together, they form a dense, mounded hedge from 16 to 22 inches tall. Grown in restricted space with some support, they act like vines growing upward an extra 2 to 3 feet. But when given plenty of space to roam, they make a floriferous groundcover spreading 2½ to 3 feet. Floribunda: an improved multiflora petunia bred to have larger single- and double-flowered varieties that bloom earlier while producing an abundance of flowers. Like the grandifloras, they flower earlier, yet tolerate both hot and wet periods, perking up quickly after every rain shower. Floribundas are a fantastic selection for mass plantings in the landscape, and for container plantings in pots and hanging baskets. Petchoa (SuperCal): a combination of the best characteristics of the petunia and calibrachoa plants. The Petchoa ‘SuperCal’ plants deliver unique colors, sturdy blossoms and non-sticky foliage to overflowing hanging baskets. For growing and planting instructions, read the full Petunia Fact Sheet here. Petunia Maintenance Petunias don’t require a lot of care, but they do benefit from some attention. During dry weather, a deep watering once a week should be sufficient for petunias in beds and borders. Plants in containers, hanging baskets and window boxes will need to be watered when the soil surface becomes dry – on extremely hot, sunny days that could be daily – and fertilized every couple of weeks with a dilute fertilizer solution. Always check the cultural tags that come with the purchase of your plants. Many of the new cultivars are bred for compactness or mounding and require no pinching back or deadheading. Your cultural tags will give you this information. But as a general rule, to encourage additional blooms and improve plant appearance, remove the spent flowers on grandiflora and double petunias. This not only keeps plants blooming longer, it also keeps plants looking fresh, healthy and well groomed. The smaller flowering types, such as the milliflora and spreading petunias are self-cleaning and don’t require deadheading. And although it isn’t practical to deadhead sweeping stands of petunias in the garden, it’s advisable to do so for plants in containers. After pruning, fertilize and water the plants to promote new growth. Problems: Today’s newer cultivars are pretty much disease-resistant, but as with all plants, a few problems can develop and you will want to deal with them as soon as possible. Newly germinated seedlings can fall prey to damping off, a fungus that attacks at the soil level and is irreversible. The young seedlings will wilt and die almost overnight. Avoid damping off by using a commercially available soilless mix and use only clean, sterilized containers for starting seeds. Young plants are susceptible to Botrytis, a fungus that is also soil-borne and spreads quickly from an infected plant to a healthy one. It thrives in cool, moist conditions, forming a powdery mold on stems, leaves and flowers. Watering only early in the morning, avoiding overhead irrigation and keeping plants spaced for good air circulation are all good ways to avoid these problems. Petunias are also susceptible to various viruses which can leave foliage stunted and deformed with discolored and deformed flowers. The safest control is to remove and destroy diseased plants and keep aphids and other insects which can transmit the disease off the plants by hosing the plant with a strong blast of water. Petunias in the landscape can be bothered by different pests: flea beetles which eat holes in the leaves of the plants and the small, green budworm caterpillar which attacks plants in late June and July and feeds on the flower buds. Usually, you won’t see the actual caterpillar, but you should notice small black droppings and tiny holes in leaves. If you have a major infestation, apply Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). Petunia plants may look limp and scraggly after a hard rain; however, the newer cultivars usually perk up within hours. Most petunias have naturally sticky leaves and stems (some of the newer cultivars have this trait bred out of them), so don’t panic and think this condition is disease or pest related. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The National Garden Bureau recognizes and thanks Betty Earl as author of this fact sheet. The petunia fact sheet is provided as an educational service of the National Garden Bureau. There are no limitations on the use. Please credit the National Garden Bureau. Please consider our NGB member companies as authoritative sources for additional information. Click on direct links to their websites by selecting "Member Info" from the menu on the left side of our home page. Gardeners looking for seed sources can use the “Shop Our Members” feature at the top of our home page. Photos can be obtained from the NGB website in the area labeled “Image Downloads”. National Garden Bureau would like to thank our members for providing the photos for this feature. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Founded in 1920, the National Garden Bureau is a non-profit organization whose mission is to disseminate basic instructions for backyard gardeners that will inspire them to spend more time gardening.   The links are not active unless you go to the National Garden Bureau. Let's Go Garden!

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Cabin Fever 101

Can you believe this Winter?  There are a few warm places but my brain can't seem to retain where they are, California you say!

I can't get excited about Spring and a growing season since I haven't seen the ground in months.  There was a day or two when my holiday containers were visible but alas they are now under a mound of snow with more to come. 

Order some seeds, this will certainly keep me moving forward towards a growing season.

Let's get that growing assembly out and ready for operation!

Sit down with the yellow pad and start planning the garden beds, containers, hayracks, etc.

Think about the workshops, Chicago Garden Show, Mid-Am Show, local garden shows, etc.

You know I am forcing myself to do this!

Dream Time At Gatsbys Gardens

I have been taking a little break during the holiday season and am glad to be back with something that has to do with gardening.  It has been unusually cold and snowy in the Chicago area which curtails my outdoor photography.

Even my containers are buried under ice and snow!  I do think each year about the intelligence of putting together winter containers only to have them buried in snow for most of the winter season.  They are costly and might be just as attractive with some greens or a small boxwood in each one.

I am dreaming about my garden of 2014 and looking back at some newer introductions and great performing older introductions.

Begonia Santa Cruz (plugs from Harris Seeds) were great most of the summer in full sun.  They are a more delicate angel wing variety which I will try again this summer.

The front containers kept up with the summer heat, large Dragon Wing Begonias in red with Algerian Ivy, Pale Yellow Chiffon Superbells with Pineapple Coleus.

Petunia Petchoa

I ordered plugs last year from Park Seed and my only complaint is that they faded with full sun.  You might see them this year in the nurseries and would be worth a try in the lighter colors, supposedly holds up better in heat than petunias and calibrachoa (it's parents).

 

Sunpatiens were great this year and will do well in sun or part shade.  This variety is not affected by the dreaded mildew.

 

 

I loved the variegated leaf variety of Sunpatiens on the north side of the house.  They are a little pricey but maybe with more use the price will come down.  This is the type of plant that is worth growing from seed indoors if it can be found in the seed catalogs.

 

 

Magellan Coral Zinnia was grown from seed started indoors, great bloomers with very large flowers, other colors available  This variety is much showier than Profusion Zinnia.

 

 

Uproar Zinnia is taller than Magellan, large flowers and looked great growing behind Coral Magellan.

 

 

Uproar and Magellan Zinnias

 

 

Zinnias are one of the easiest flowers to start from seed, germinates very quickly so don't start too soon indoors.

 

Mascotte Beans

I received the seeds for this new bean introduction in mid-summer from Harris Seed Company.  I planted them on the edge of my raised bed veggie garden and they produced two crops of beans before the end of the summer.  This is a great variety for small places, or as an edging.

This was a German radish from Renee's Seeds, crunchy and a little zip to it.

The lettuces were mostly from Renee's Seeds with a very special dark red one which you can barely see towards the back.

The purple grafted heirloom tomato from Harris Seed Company arrived as a plug and was a winner, odd looking but delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Season To Celebrate

Fall is a season we can plan for, not necessarily planting and enjoying the color of flowers, however, there are many plants that put on a show in late summer and fall.  I am suggesting by planning ahead with trees shrubbery and perennials, fall can be a beautiful burst of color before the snow rolls in!

Dwarf Fothergilla

 

 

Tor Spirea

 

Ninebark Summer Wine

 

The above three shrubs are my favorites, but there are several others that display great fall color.

 

Weigela Wine and Roses

 

Weigela Dark Horse

Smaller shrub with lots of gold in the fall

 

Azalea Karen

Keeps its leaves all winter

 

Hydrangea Limelight

This is pretty much how Limelight will look all winter, leaves gone, flowers dried.

 

Itea Henry's Garnet

Just beginning to change

 

The trees all have their own color timeline, Magnolia in foreground, Accolade Elm on the right and Chanticleer Pear in the background.

 

Heuchera Pinot Gris

 

Don't forget some of the Heucheras stay for the winter and even peek out under the snow.

 

Heuchera Southern Comfort

Stays colorful all winter

 

Variegated Solomon's Seal

This plant had a lot of insect damage this summer, not sure what was stripping the leaves.

The Great Pumpkin

This is a repost from 2010

 

 

Carving pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns is a centuries old tradition which began with the Irish carving turnips and beets as lanterns placing them in their windows, lit from the inside with a lump of coal.  They were used as a welcome for those who had passed on and as a deterrent to evil spirits. When the Irish immigrated to the United States in 1848 during the potato famine they could not find many turnips or beets, but found an abundance of pumpkins.  From this time on, the carving and lighting of the pumpkin became a tradition in the United States on All Souls Day.  This tradition later became transferred to the day we celebrate Halloween.

A traditional Irish Halloween Jack-O-Lantern from early 20th century at Museum of Country Life, Ireland

Did you know that pumpkins are not a vegetable - they are a fruit!  Pumpkins, like gourds and other varieties of squash are all members of the Cucurbitacae family, which also includes cucumbers, gherkins and melons.  Pumpkins have been grown in America for over 5,000 years.  They were unknown in Europe before the time of Columbus.

If you are going to carve a face in your pumpkin it works very well with an elongated pumpkin rather than a round squatty one.  It is so much easier to carve if you have a very ripe pumpkin, hard to know this until you stick in the knife.  Sketch out your face on the best side of the pumpkin,, cut a circular lid on top (large enough to insert an LED candle) scoop out all of the seeds. Separate the stringy fibers from the seeds and wash the seeds in a colander.

I think the children are better artists than I am

If you are doing this with children it is fun to let them tell you how it feels when they scoop out the seeds, talk about shapes, colors, ask them how many seeds they think are in the pumpkin.  Help them lift the pumpkin, how much do they think it weighs, show them on a scale.  I think you get the idea, this can be a multi-level integrated experience for children.  Lay the seeds out on paper towels and when dry, it is a great activity to count them by ones and then tens.  It is always amazing how many seeds are in a pumpkin!

This is certainly not a professional carving job!

You can't stop eating them!  This is a child tested recipe for pumpkin seeds.

     Make sure the seeds are dry
     Put them in a frying pan with butter and salt
     Cook slowly until brownish stirring often
     Drain on paper towel

Yum, Yum!

LED candles fit inside and are safe.  I have a six inch one in this pumpkin.