Glorious Petunia's

    ( From World Book)  Petunia,  «puh TOO nee uh or puh TOO nyuh», is the name of a group of plants known for their beautiful, funnel-shaped flowers. Petunias rank as one of the most popular garden flowers in the United States and many other countries.

A petunia's flowers grow 4 inches (10 centimeters) or more across. They may be pink, rose, salmon, red, white, blue, or a mixture of colors. Some varieties have a single set of petals. Others have a double set.

There are about 30 species (kinds) of petunias. Tiny hairs cover the stems and leaves of most cultivated petunias, but some wild species have almost no hairs. Most petunias are perennials—that is, they live at least three years. However, gardeners usually raise the plants as annuals (flowers that live one year or less) because they flower during their first year. People may grow petunias from cuttings or from seeds.

Gardeners normally grow petunias in prepared ground beds or in window boxes. Some plant the flowers in hanging baskets. The plants thrive in sunny locations. Their flowers bloom in summer and early fall.

Petunias originated in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Europeans first brought them from South America to Europe in the 1820's. Gardeners in Europe developed the first cultivated petunias later in the 1800's.

    Thats the where and the why but I love them because they are a lovely flower and a great bloomer.  Here are some of mine.

      Isn't this just the most perfect flower.  Look at the colors on it.

     Another perfect flower and a different shape.  I bought quite a few of these.

            This dark red looks a little beat up but the new blooms will be lovely.

   

                              Pretty peachy pink

  These are the mini petunia's.  My husband picked these out.

 

   More Mini's in mixed colors.  They bloom profusely and do well in containers.  Since most of my coleus bit the dust I planted these with some accent plants in the whiskey barrel.

  Just Lovely.