Re: New catalogs (Petunias)

AdamsEden@aol.com wrote..

>I'm looking for Cascade petunias.

I'm told that in recent years whenever you see the name Cascade in a
catalogue what you actually get is its successor Supercascade. Some people
see the new Wave Series as an alternative but these plants are more
determinedly trailing, hanging down vertically, whereas the Supercascades
are more bushily trailing. The Waves, I might say, are fantastic ground
covers - especially Misty Lilac Wave (Pearly Wave in Britain) in a
bicoloured pale lavender and white. They make spetacular backgrounds for
colchicums.

Meum71@aol.com writes:
>I hate petunias.

Isn't this just a little sweeping? I'm not sure that the whole genus can be
swept away in three words... there are exceptions. The Fantasy Series is
generally pretty horrid, far too small and dumpy - although I have to say
that the first year I grew them I planted them in a terracotta strawberry
pot and they did look very pretty.

I generally prefer the Pearls Series with large numbers of relatively small
flowers on plants which are a little taller and bushier than most. This is
an old series which was bred by Clause in France and is being upgraded by
the British plant breeders Floranova who took over the Clause flower
breeding business a few years ago. The purple Petunia integrifolia, a
parent of some of  the Surfina types is delightful and P. axilliaris
(sometimes seen with the variety name 'Rainmaster') is wonderful. It's
white with a few streaks in the throat the colour of Dijon mustard; it
makes a bushy, weather resistant plant with a long, long succession of
relatively small flowers.

But some of the individual colours from the many series are gorgeous:
Celebrity Chiffon Morn; Prism Sunshine; Strawberry Sundae; White Storm...

Let's not be too sweeping.

Graham Rice
Northamptonshire, UK
Zone 8
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