All Mother's Day gifts for my mom. Leaning towards Waves in hanging planters for my place. On my first trip to the nursery I saw this one and had to have it thinking of mom's blue bargain pot. "Potunia" Papaya:



The nursery was really busy so I made 3 quick choices a little brighter than last years blacks and purples, I managed to sneak a black one in anyway... Sweetunia Black Satin, Dreams Red Picotee, and Dreams White Imp.











Always curious to see how they turn out. ..

Got petunia plans or pots started?

I've got petunias:




And it looks like they are going to shove everybody else right out of the pot. My plan is to replace them with fan flower whenever I can get it. In the meantime, I like these.

I have not picked mine up yet. I did walk around the nursery this week sniffing. I try to buy the fragrant ones.

The first time I tried petunias they came home with tobacco budworm. This time they got treated with Neem Oil before joining the general population. So, I'm hopeful.

I had a hanging basket of them that were feeling a little under the weather given to me by a dear friend. 2 of the 3 are now doing quite well.

I do wish I knew how to save seed of them or something to be able to start my own for next year, but my research has been fruitless. No fruit for Bunilla


edit : the Petunias that I have may or may not make seed- as I am not sure if they are the ones that are infertile? Either way, I will be holding out and watching for some seed pods to form to at least try.

I had Black Satin last year and wasn't impressed.

All self seeded. Not as grand as last year, but I will take any free petunia God decides to give me.





Every plant in this picture self seeded. Now days my gardening consist of moving things around and (I hate to say it) pulling plants that I get too many plants of. I hate pulling any seedling.

bobjax said:All self seeded. Not as grand as last year, but I will take any free petunia God gives me.



Sun is too bright for a really good picture.

Nice when they're free! I've got 5 or 6 volunteer Nasturtium, only annuals that have ever come back for me. Ever. Messes with my planned color scheme, oh well, I'm not touching them. They might be the best yet?

Sue, I grew Black Satin last year and it performed well. I grew it with a black and yellow that really outshined it (name forgotten, tag buried in the junk drawer). As a stand alone plant I'd think a light colored container would be beneficial for overall appeal. Early in the season but I'm pleased with it's contrast in this pot. (gotta admit the less expensive white 3-pack petunias are growing faster) Looks good from the sidewalk, hoping it looks as good from the street soon.

My hopes have been dashed. Regardless of any preventative treatment the budworms showed up along with the petunias, and every one of the six plants died off right after blooming was done. I will renew my quest for the elusive fan flower and forget about petunias. There were some lovely pink budworms in one of my columbines but they responded to treatment and have not returned. The petunias had a green worm that did not respond to anything, even being hand picked out of the pot until I upended an ammonia solution into the pot. Now the little worms appear to be gone, but so are the petunias. So I put some lobelia in there and now wait for it to decide it likes that pot.

Wes, your photos of your petunias look wonderful. My favorite are your striped ones. When it comes to striped petunias, it's hard for me to choose them because I like putting my plants in varieties and match them a little and I don't know where to put them.

Lots of volunteer petunia. They are a nice under-lay to the trumpet lilies, now that they are done.
I never know what color I'll get. I like those kind of surprises.

Petunias self seed where you are ?
What a nice surprise !

OMG Caroline, yes !
They are everywhere. With the warm temps of late October, I notice the petunia seeds are sprouting (which should have overwintered for sprouting in Spring of 2018). If we have a hard winter, the sprouts will not survive.
But in the summer of 2017 the volunteer petunias went wild, and I let them. They started blooming in mid-summer. It's the first week of November and I don't have the heart to pull the plants because they are still blooming.
In the second picture below of petunias, that is a perennial garden, the petunias are all volunteers, so you can't see the perennials!

Do you know what kind they are ?---or I guess they are now all hybrids of some sort. What did they start out as ???

Not a clue Caroline. As the petunias reseed each year, the pastel colors soften, except I do know I have purple wave petunias in vivid pink & purple. They stay true in color and traits.

There are some reseeding petunias. Some reseed better than others. The best I've ever grown were Laura Bush petunias. (Seeds from Wildseed Farms). They reseeded like crazy, for years! I first wintersowed them. They were very popular on GardenWeb's wintersowing forum some years ago. Here are some volunteers in my yard in 2009.


https://www.wildseedfarms.com/...

Karen

In zone 4---- they do not seem to re seed.
But I will need to see if any kinds do re seed.
This year, I have seeds for two species : integrifolia and axillaris.
My main "crop" will be from a mix called Razzle Dazzle.
I am hoping there might be some of the older California Giant flowers. Also, going to grow a few White Frilltunias.

Those look great! Love seeing them!

I tried a few from seed. I started them late so they didn't get too big. It seems you can get something close to the parent.

The first two were from Chaching Cherry or similar





This one was from a black petunia. There was another seedling that was a muddy dark red but I don't think I photographed it.