Extraordinary Plants -- Extraordinary Ways

Provided by: ARA

(ARA) - How many plants come with a tsunami warning? Gardeners using Wave petunias are advised to plant and step back, way back!

Gardeners familiar with Wave varieties know that they are not your grandmother's petunias. Now the key is to harness the flower power of these frothing, foaming wonders to create new and unusual effects in the garden.

Tidal Wave petunias can travel up fences or trellises to a height of three feet. This means they could camouflage a chain link fence with more constant color and less mess than the standard morning glory solution. Achieving new heights as they grow onward and upward, Tidal Wave plants can actually form a hedge. Who would have thought?

The original Wave petunia is still learning new tricks. A St. Louis gift shop stopped traffic when it used 400 pots of Wave Purple petunias to make a living garland along its roofline. If you don't want to try this at home, Wave petunias make a great groundcover, delivering a continuous carpet of blooms.

Easy Wave petunias are a little more mounding than their sister Wave varieties, but no less vigorous. They overflow containers with reckless abandon. They can hide the ugly legs of roses and perennials. Imagine them trained into a weeping tree shape.

All three varieties from the Ride The Wave series could be used in a tiered effect to create a petunia terrace.

With such brazen performances you would think these beauties were high maintenance. Nothing could be further from the truth. They stand up to heat and bounce back after storms without a whimper. While they don't require any pinching, they will respond with more bushy growth. Don't bother with deadheading either; these bold bloomers don't need this extra maintenance to keep looking great.

With so many colors to choose from -- like passionate purple, all shades of pink, elegant silvery lilac, cool blue and white -- the color combinations offer countless possibilities.

If you haven't experienced Wave petunias yet, now is the time to get your feet wet. Or better yet, dive in head first. You'll be rewarded with oceans of color.

Look for Ride The Wave petunias, easily recognizable in their Pretty Pink Pots, Packs and Flats, at your local garden center or home center in spring 2004. Visit www.Wave-Rave.com to find a retailer near you.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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Spreading Petunia Wave Petunias

Low-growing, fast spreading Wave petunias are the number one choice of landscapers and gardeners alike. The granddaddy of them all and the most popular petunia in the world, the award-winning Wave petunias are an exciting choice where brilliant groundcovers are desired. They also work great in hanging baskets and color bowls. These low-growing annuals reach a height of 4 to 6 inches and spread as much as 4 feet. Flowers form along the entire length of each branch. Unlike standard petunias, the 2 to 3 inch flowers continue to bloom freely all season without being trimmed back. Wave petunias are more disease-tolerant than most petunias, and stand up well to both heat and cooler conditions.

Easy Wave Petunias

The easy choice for gardeners! Mounded, spreading Easy Wave is an excellent alternative to traditional petunias for landscapes, beds, baskets and containers. These petunias are easy-to-flower, make a high-impact and require minimal maintenance. More mounded with a more controllable spreading habit than low-growing Wave varieties, Easy Wave petunias perform equally well outdoors. Plants fill out well in the center and stay full all season, growing 8 to 12 inches tall with spread of 2.5 to 3 feet. Easy Wave petunias show off masses of blooms in containers and window boxes.

Tidal Wave Petunias

Tidal Wave petunias can be grown to form full, lush hedges when planted close together -- the closer the spacing, the taller the plants. When spaced a minimum of 12 inches apart, it forms a dense, mounded hedge from 16 to 22 inches tall. Grown in a restricted space with support, it will grow an extra 2 to 3 feet upward, like a vine. When given plenty of space, this petunia makes a floriferous ground cover, spreading 2.5 to 3 feet per plant. Excellent disease resistance and quick recovery from rain.

Double Wave Petunias

Super-vigorous, semidouble-bloomed Double Wave fill landscapes and baskets fast with a bounty of multiflora-sized double blooms that look like carnations. Double Wave petunias deliver the terrific garden performance only a Ride the Wave petunia can. Available in seven great colors, it is perfect for baskets and containers or planted in a sweep in the landscape.

To learn more about the whole family of Wave petunias or to find a Wave retailer near you, visit www.wave-rave.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content