Its almost time to plant spring color!

For beautiful spring color, you can't beat the Petunia

Most of us have planted a lonely Petunia in a pot at some point in the past, but too few of us have fully discovered the impact that these versatile plants can have on our home landscapes. 

Available in every color but orange, sun-loving Petunas are long-lasting, colorful, pest-tolerant, and easy to grow, enhancing any home gardening situation that can sustain the 6 hours minimum a day of direct sunlight required by all members of this plant family.  All Petunias have a sprawling, low growth habit, and thus lend themselves well to containers, window boxes, borders, and mass plantings, requiring only minimal care to produce blooms for virtually the entire season. 

Before the hybridizers discovered them, all Petunias in their natural form bore pink flowers.  Indeed, the most robust and least problematic Petunias to this day sport the color pink, with red being the weakest and most troublesome.  All the other colors come in between, but all (including the reds) will still do satisfactorily if their basic care and watering requirements are met.  Petunias can also be fragrant, with purple, pink, and white being generally the best choices as far as fragrance is concerned.  In most cases, this fragrance is more pronounced at night.

Petunias don't need much to thrive, but a sunny spot with reasonably fertile, well-drained soil is a must.  Work in some organic compost before planting, and mulch to prevent the leaves from touching the ground, which could cause problems with diseases.  Keep the soil moist, and water early so that the leaves have time to dry before nightfall to prevent problems.  Deadhead where practical, but if you have a large stand, cut the plants back uniformly by 1/3 in mid-summer when they begin to look tired.  This rejuvenates the plants and removes many seed pods, thereby stimulating more bloom production. 

Petunias can be started from seed 6-10 weeks before the last frost, bought in flats at the garden store, or propagated by stem cuttings.  If planting store-bought plants, disturb the roots a bit without twisting or bending the main stem to encourage root spread once the plant is in the ground.  When taking cuttings, cut a stem a few inches long just below the leaf node and place in moist soil in a shady place.  It takes a couple of weeks for the cutting to start putting out roots.

Petunias are one of the edible flowers and I have heard that you can use the flowers as wraps for various finger snacks and such, much like squash flowers.  However, I have tasted both the blooms and the petals and personally, I think they taste a bit grassy to be of much use in the kitchen. 

Petunias can add color to cut flower arrangements, but they do tend to droop, and they don't last as long as many other cut flowers, making them a borderline choice for the cutting garden.  If you want their bright color in arrangements, however, they can be strengthened by attaching the stems to florist's wire.    

Problems with Petunias are few, and I hear more complaints about lack of flowering than anything else.  This is one plant that demands at least 6 hours of sun per day, and though it will survive, it will bloom poorly or not at all with too much shade.  It will also not tolerate a poorly drained soil, so do prepare your soil thoroughly before planting to sidestep potential problems. 

As annuals, Petunias die off at the first, frost. However, a few of the newer varieties, including the award-winning "Wave" series are remarkably frost tolerant and may even make it through to the next season if in a sheltered position in zone 7 or up.

All in all, Petunias pack about the most color you can get for the buck in the home landscaping world.  If you haven't really given them a try, do so this year.  If you give them what they want, you won't be disappointed!