Little black petunia

My fashion sense can pretty much be summed up in one word: black.

Black is classic. And it plays well with other colors. Maybe that's why my eyes zeroed in on the black petunias at the Annual Flower Trial Garden at Colorado State University last summer. The petunias -- 'Pinstripe,' 'Phantom,' and especially 'Black Velvet' are catching a lot of attention. The March/April issue of Northern Gardener magazine features the three cultivars in a story about new annuals; other horticultural publications also have picked up on the petunias -- especially 'Black Velvet' -- bred by Ball.

It was the color that turned my head and the heads of the experts evaluating the plants' performances in the sunny, dry climate of Fort Collins, Colo. On evaluation day on Aug. 9, 2010, 'Black Velvet' earned the highest marks among these three petunias, scoring 6.8 out of a possible 10. Judges noted its "incredible" flower color but uneven habit. In September, in the end-of-season remarks, judges described 'Black Velvet' has having a unique color, many flowers and moderate vigor.

We happened to be in Fort Collins in August at about the same time as the plants were evaluated so I can vouch for the "incredible" color. It was deep and rich. My only disappointment was that, like so many petunia descendants, there seemed to be little fragrance. 

I see 'Black Velvet' more as a container plant than a bedding plant, although it could be striking tumbling along the edges of a light-colored walkway. It would be classy in a silver or mossy green container mixed with something white such as bacopa or alyssum or lobelia. Or maybe an urn of 'Black Velvet' petunias surrounded by a collar of the lime-green foliage of creeping jenny. Hmm ... opportunities await.

Trendy Picasso

The underside of 'Pretty Much Picasso' is almost more attractive than the top.

Holly first called my attention to a new petunia called 'Pretty Much Picasso.' She had discovered it at a greenhouse in Wisconsin and was excited about using it in her combination pots this year. We looked for it during a sweep of Minnesota greenhouses a few weeks later, but came up empty-handed. When we asked, salespeople told us they sold out of their stock almost immediately and didn't know of any other greenhouses that still had some. But Holly, one of the best shoppers around, found a few pots on the reduced rack at Shopko and snapped them up, including a pot for me.

Now that I've had a few days to examine and research the plant, I find myself a bit ambivalent about this petunia. I like petunias -- always have. But what I value most in petunias are the fragrance and the flirty, ruffly blooms and 'Picasso' appears to have neither. What it does have is an appealing purply flower with lime-green margins. Proven Winners, which markets the plant, says it doesn't need deadheading -- I like that, too. But the flowers are small and the green margin seems to get lost against the foliage. And, truth be told, I'm a little sour on Proven Winners. They have some great plants, but they're starting to feel a little too much like fast food -- a Whopper and fries taste great once in a while, but a steady diet is so unsatisfying. 

Still, I'll happily grow the plant and see how it performs. Who knows, by the end of the summer it could be on my favorites list. How about you -- are you growing 'Pretty Much Picasso' too?

The petunia is bushy, sturdy and healthy, and the flowers are intriguing. Let's see how it fares come August.