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Annuals/Petunias

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Expert: - 4/13/2009


Question
I bought a whole of petunias last year and they were beautiful until late Fall.  Now it is April and I do not have any blooms, is this normal?  What do I need to do in order to have a beautiful petunia garden again?

Thanks,
Rachel Leake

Answer
Petunias, sad to say, are annual plants.  They do actually thrive in cool weather and will bloom like crazy, right up to the last moments before they are felled by frost.  Overnight, literally, and what a sad night it is.  But inevitable. All good things must pass.

Fortunately, they are inexpensive enough to replace every day.

Although these are easy to grow, their ease is usually the reason people have trouble with them.  Beginners especially dote on them and hover relentlessly, over-watering, over-fertilizing and over-caring until the Petunias have finally had enough of that and give up.  Don't shrug off that you kept these into Autumn.  That's not easy to do.  Keep up the good work.

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER

Annuals

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Long Island Gardener

Expertise

Decisions, decisions... If you can't make up your mind which Annuals to grow, you're not alone. Problem with your new flowering Annuals flats? I`ve been there, done that. Petunias, Sweet Alyssum, Larkspur, Marine Blue Lobelia -- they all grow here at my house on Garden Street on Long Island, N.Y.. Cutting and Cottage Gardens, Sun and Shade Gardens, White Gardens and Night Gardens, I`ve done them all. Annuals are the perfect summer flower, bursting with color June through fall's first frost. I can`t speak on Cactus or tender Tropical Plants -- they don`t grow outside in my Zone 7. I`m no Farmer, so I cannot guide you on Fruits and Vegetables. But whether it`s an Annual you want to start from seed, mail-order or pick up at your local garden center, I can help you grow amazing blooms this Summer. Yes, together, we can turn your neighbors green with envy.

Experience

I have a lifetime of gardening behind me here on the North Shore of Long Island. While I have degrees in related fields, there's nothing like hands-on work to build real knowledge. I stay on top of current science -- there's a boom in research, and Kingdom Plantae is filled with surprises. By the way, I really do live on Garden Street.

Publications
Gannett newspapers, The New York Times, and hundreds of others - but not on Annuals.

Education/Credentials
B.A., botany; graduate credits in European Intellectual History and Political Science; minor coursework in related fields, docent training at our local botanical gardens (required for volunteers). I'm currently working on an advanced biochemistry degree.

Awards and Honors
I could tell you, but then you'd know who I am.

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