Petunias

Whether for baskets, borders or containers, petunias are a colourful summer staple

- GRAHAM RICE

PETUNIAS are frost-tender perennial plants usually grown as annuals. They have large, flared, trumpet-shaped flowers in every colour of the rainbow, with an increasing range of vivid patterns and markings. Some are prettily veined in contrasting shades, and there are also some with double flowers, crowded with petals. Some are also scented.

The flowers open steadily to create an unbroken display from late spring to autumn, and range from neat and bushy to long and trailing. Some are raised from seed, with others bought as plants.

Petunia varieties were once divided into two groups – Grandifloras, with large flowers that are easily damaged in bad weather, and the smaller flowered, more rain-resistant Multifloras. However, these distinctions have mostly lost their relevance as so many new varieties incorporating features from both groups have been developed around the world.

All-America Selections, a US-based organisation that trials plants in a similar way to the RHS, remind us about the value of petunias: “These incredibly versatile plants come in an abundance of bold colours, are widely adaptable, and are largely pest and disease-free. They are low maintenance and drought tolerant, available nationwide, are great value, sport a variety of forms and colours, and some even exhibit a light, sweet fragrance.”

When, where and how to plant petunias