Inside The New York Botanical Garden
petunia
Posted in Around the Garden, Science on April 16 2012, by Matt Newman
Off on a side table, just inside one of the treated glass superstructures of the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections, there stands a spray of stems headed with humble, star-shaped flowers. The aesthetic is nothing wildly exotic–a deep crimson defines the petals. The plant is otherwise unremarkable next to a common garden petunia. And yet the “DO NOT TOUCH” sign hand-written and jabbed in alongside the plant is evidence of its peculiar value. Is it fragile, or perhaps toxic?
Neither in particular. This plant, Petunia exserta, is one of incredible rarity.
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Posted in Gardening Tips on February 22 2011, by Plant Talk
It’s still early yet, but time to start thinking about what we are going to plant in our containers this year. The catalogs have been out now for a while and we have had our chance to peruse what is new and exciting in the horticultural world.
The new options this year are a lot of fun and they are not shy. Ball Horticultural Company has come out with a series of three velvety black petunias that will knock your socks off – and yes – black means black.
Petunia ‘Black Velvet’ is the pure black petunia that is a soft and sensuous as it name suggests. ‘Phantom’ and ‘Pinstripe’ are two variations on the theme. The former has a bright yellow star pattern that is offset by the black background while the latter has the same pattern in a smaller muted cream and bleeding pink color.
The grower reminds us the ‘everything goes with black’ – and it should. These are three very adaptable container companions. They have a nice compact mounding habit – 8-12 inches in height and spread. They should be widely available this year. Burpee is selling the all black petunia under the name ‘Black Cat’.
If black is the color of the year – you might also be interested in Calibrachoa Superbells ‘Blackberry Punch’. The flowers are magenta but the large throat on this plant is velvet black. ‘Blackberry Punch’ is a trailer that grows 12 inches high and wide yet will spill over your container and trail up to 36 inches.
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Off on a side table, just inside one of the treated glass superstructures of the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections, there stands a spray of stems headed with humble, star-shaped flowers. The aesthetic is nothing wildly exotic–a deep crimson defines the petals. The plant is otherwise unremarkable next to a common garden petunia. And yet the “DO NOT TOUCH” sign hand-written and jabbed in alongside the plant is evidence of its peculiar value. Is it fragile, or perhaps toxic?