Consider the lowly petunia, a backbone of the annual plants group expected to bring summer long color to a garden. The newest of the Wave petunia family is Shock Wave Petunia, a shorter spreader than other Waves but with big color, just the same.
The Burpee Seed catalog of 1886 listed Petunia ‘Superbissima’ a deeply veined dark crimson purple petaled flower with a black throat. Fast-forward more than 50 years and one can see, between 1949 and 1952, petunias winning awards as fast as the new varieties and cultivars could be developed.
Today the Wave is probably the most well known with its trademark name, in the petunia family. Generally, trailing petunias have flowers all along the stem and they flower all season. But not all trailing petunias are Wave Petunias.
The family of Wave petunias has grown to include five different types. The basic Wave is low growing up to 4-6″ tall and double Wave has large double flower, but with the same height as basic Wave The Easy Wave has the same spreading characteristics; it is 6-10 ‚” tall, giving a garden more petunia height.
Tidal Wave is the largest of the Wave set, at least so far. This petunia is 16-22″ tall, with an upright habit perfect for gardens with something to hide. It has been referred to as a small hedge which is a unique role for an annual flower, much less a petunia, to fill. As an annual though, it is economical enough to try without busting the garden budget. When planting the Tidal Wave special attention should be paid to spacing. It is recommended to plant Tidal Wave petunias 24″ a part.
The newest member of the family is Shock Wave petunia at 8-10″tall, the plant has smaller but plentiful blooms. The Shock Wave petunia series include ivory, pink, purple and rose and mixed groups of Buzz and Electric. They have a spreading and mounded habit with flowers that will bloom from spring to late summer. As with all petunias, plant in full sun and space between 10-15″ a part.
For dramatic impact plant several colors in one flower box and hang from a balcony railing. In a large upright urn type pot try using these as the trailer in a multiple plant combination. The first Wave petunia, purple, was an All America Selections winner in 1995. It was the original ground cover petunia. They will enhance any butterfly or hummingbird garden with its big summer long color, planted in ground or container.
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