Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-19
PETUN|A CULTURE
METHODS OUTLINED
Expert Says Plants Will
Thrive in Window Box
or Fall Garden.
BY KENNETH r. BOYNToN,

eead Gardener, New YORK Botanical Garoen'
Those who have enjoyed the fragrance
and beauty Of the flower beds at Play
land, Rye, on Summer evenings. who
have kept color in their window boxes
all through the dry season or who have
maintained a profusion Of bloom In the
borders by bedding out petunias after
the bulbs died down will appreciate as
never before the value OF this humble
plant.
More than a hundred years ago one
of those Scotch Observation-Disclosures sent
home seeds of a plant from Argentina
which we're terminated in botanic gar
dens and developed into the species
petunia axillaris. This was called the
large white petunia on account OF the
color and size # The flower. Plants OF
this species were grown In the green
house, studied there, and 1t vac de-
cided to try them outdoors as a half
hardy annual.
Second Variety Introduced.
About 1880 another species was in
troduced into Scottish gardens. The
flowers of this plant were smaller, but
the color was rosered or violet. thus
giving the flower lover hopes Of some
reward of hybridization. This species
was petunia violacea, the violet-1iow-
cred petunia.
About five years later there appeared
in the Glasgow Botanic Garden and
other places a series of hybrid petunias
which showed many colors derived from
the violet Powered form and long
tubed, wide-trumpeted flowers of the
large white petunia. The better soil
and garden treatment tended to i'm
prove the hybrids both rs to size of
flower and vigor of foliage. But the
large and fringer varieties Of the mod
err garden and florists petunias have
been developed recently by seed
growers.
The Pacific Coast has given us series
of fine petun.as. such as the single
and double ruff1ed flowers Of the dis
tinguished horticulturist, Richard Diener
of Oxford, Calf, and the Portland
petunias from Oregon, including Elks
Pride, Pride Of Portland and others.
In general petunias are divided into
two classes. the small and large flow
cred. In the first class are the balcony
petunias and the ordinary petunias
with myriads of small, bright flowers
The balcony sorts, blue. pink white and
red, are not surpassed by any one
plant or any combination of plants for
use in window boxes or hanging baskets.
In the small Powered or bedding class
one of the recent developments has been
III Tic pOpuldIlZlIlR OF The IOTlISTOuS
pink varieties. For years Rosy Morn,
with white throat. gave us masses of
pink in the Summer garden. Now we
have Rose Of Heaven, a brighter and
better variety of which the writer was
told sit made the entire garden" and
was the only worthwhile flower during
the long dry spell" Pink Beauty is
another newcomer among bedders.
California Giant, fringed and ruffled
monster petunias. make up a group
showing wonderful development in the
way Of size, color, markings and lobing,
and. whether grown for borders or
window boxes. for pot plants by the
florist or in the tenement window, the
result Is pleasing to both the grower
and the spectator.
An interesting feature In the
amateurs garden has been the desire
for and appreciation OF a good deep
royal purple or violet sort. Violet Queen
Dwarf Violet and Elk's Pride are excel
lent strains in these velvety colors The
extremely doubled, fringed flowers are
favorites in many gardens. These are
obtained by selecting the weaker, not
the stronger. seedlings from seed Of the
most carefully developed double strains.
Directions for Planting.
In pan, pot or box of finely-sifted
leaf mold, loan and sand, previously
watered, SOW the petunia seed mixed
with little sand to insure even dis