Look for this plant: Supertunia Black Cherry Petunia

Supertunia® Black Cherry™ - Petunia hybrid is a beautiful intense color.

These Proven Winners bloom continuously with no need for deadheading. Hummingbirds stopped by daily. Butterflies and birds love these flowers.

Supertunia® Black Cherry™ - Petunias are heat and drought tolerant. To survive in my garden, flowers need to be carefree and low maintenance. I love these perfectly named annuals.

These are not your grandmas petunias. If you gave up petunias years ago, look again. Get bright, clear shades in a multitude of colors. The days of scrawny, leggy petunias are gone.

Look for these six new Supertunias®. at the garden center this year.

• Black Cherry new this year
  
• Indigo Charm new this year
  
• Limoncello new this year
  
• Morning Glory Charm new this year
• Rose Blast Charm new this year
• Mini Rose Veined new this year
  
  

• Continuous blooms
• Low maintenance
• Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
• No deadheading
• Heat tolerant

“Thriller, Filler, Spiller” is an easy formula for planting containers. Combining the three elements is a simple and easy way to select the plants that will make a colorful and well balanced design.

Thrillers - are plants with height added for drama. Most often planted in the center of the container, Thrillers will be placed in the back of a container that will not be seen from all sides.

Fillers - After the thriller is placed, the Fillers surround the Thriller. Often, these plants are rounded or mounded in shape.

Spillers - Finally, place the Spillers near the edge of the container. These plants will spill over the edge of the container.

Deadheading means to remove the old flower and keep the plant from producing seed. Remove old flowers by clipping or pinching off the stem just below the base of the flower.

Remove spent blooms just above the first leaf below the flower head will not affect the rest of the plant.

Last year's trials are this years new introductions. Proven Winners sent these flowers to me as trial plants, so that I could share my opinion this year when the plants arrive in the local garden centers.

• Superbena® Royale Cherryburst - Verbena hybrid was planted in a hanging basket on the patio. The Superbenas® are like a superstar of verbena hybrids. There is also a beautiful new, clear Superbena® Royale Red. I'll be looking for the bright Royale Red verbena this spring.

Superbells® Lemon Slice - Calibrachoa hybrid is paired with Superbena® Royale Cherryburst - Verbena hybrid. Planting the two striped flowers did not work as well as I imagined.

• Lots of yellow: Superbells® Frostfire - Calibrachoa hybrid and Supertunia Citrus Petunia Hybrid and Celosia. All of these plants bloomed nonstop, unfazed by the heat and humidity.

When plants are established, the fertilizer and watering schedule is settled, maintenance is minimal. Unless you are expecting a HGTV camera crew or the garden club, these modern petunias need little, or no care. You can trim them, if you must.

Clip petunias to encourage bushier growth. Cuttings make delightful indoor arrangements. Petunia flowers, bubbling out over the top of a teapot is a bright and unexpected table arrangement.

Remove all leaves from the stem that will be under water. They are delightful with a sprig of baby's breath or spiky greenery.

It was my pleasure to trial these plants for Proven Winners last summer. They sent several plants.The color really popped on this one.

Proven Winners are easy to find in our area. You could imagine my shock when I read the back of the plant label this spring: “BUY THIS! Even Patsy Bell Hobson did not kill it.” I don’t know if this is a regional marketing strategy or a National Campaign. Let me know if you see this tag in your store.