This nicotiana is not fragrant like the fragrant white variety, but Breakthrough has an nice upright habit and comes in lovely colors of deep rose, pink, and white. Half-hardy Annual Flowers, Mid Summer/Autumn, Height: 12 in., Sun to partial shade. Great for bedding, borders, patios, pots & tubs.
I've grown 'Sensation' which has a good colour range, stays open in the day and is actually scented. Have to see if i can find some for you if you'd like it? Or is it too late to start this year?
I'll take a look in my catalogs and put it on the list for next year. It might not be too late this year, but I generally start them about the same time as the petunias, and they went in quite a while ago.
I've just found both in the Thompson and morgan catalogue. They claim that Breakthrough is scented. The main difference seems to be that B is dwarf.
Seeing you mention petunias reminds me that many of those don't seem to be scented. In the mix i've used i find that the scent varies enormously from none in some flowers to really heady in others. This seems to be allied to colour - the dark purple ones having the richest perfume. I've also noticed that scent is lacking in the smaller flowered varieties.
philomel: The most fragrant petunias I grew last year were from seed I collected the previous year from a second generation purple wave. The flowers were a lovely lilac color with deep purple veining, and the smell was wonderful.
I think they had reverted back to some variety involved in the hybridization. It made me think that the old varieties are probably more fragrant than the newer, so I've started some old fashioned climbing petunias this year to see if they are more fragrant. I hadn't really considered the color as an issue, but I'll check it out this spring when all these petunias start to bloom!
WZ I have tried to grow petunias from seeds with no luck.. they are so tiny & after at least 4 weeks they are still no true leaves.. just a long thread stems.. they are under lites & very close.. guess I'll have to buy mine *sob*
Sugar_fl
Sugar_fl: Sounds like you might have them sown too thickly. Here's a trick...add a bit of sand to the seed and shake to mix.
Prepare a small container with sterile soiless mix, tamp down to flatten (but not too hard), then mist with a spray bottle to dampen.
Carefully sprinkle the seed/sand mixture over the soiless mix. Do not cover with mix, since the seeds need light to germinate.
Place the container in a flat with a domed lid, spraying the inside of the domed lid so that moisture can rain down on the container. Drop the lights until they are just a touch above the domed lid. Misty every day or whenever the container seems to dry out.
I just transpanted one small container of petunias into 4 flats, and they were all nice healthy little plants. If all this doesn't work for you, remember that petunias are available in pelletized seeds, as well.
WZ,
When I said "close" I meant they were close to the lites. I used pelletized seeds. Wal-Mart had them 4 packs for $1. I have the seeds but doubt I try again. For some reason my tiny plants, all of them just aren't growing much. They are getting leggy. I guess the shed being to warm isn't helping even with fans running. One in a window & one overhead. We have a small one blowing on them too. Greenwoods tomatoes have gotten leggie but I know they can be planted DEEP. We had very hard rain last nite & wind. All the veggies we hadn't got trasplanted sure took a beating & most are laying over badly. We are planting in pots & the ones planted are fine. Some of my flowers took a beating too even though I thought I had them some protection. Can U plant Zinnias deep? We made a table top greenhouse & the 3 full size flats in there are fine.. may make more next year. I'll take a picture & put it on later.
Thanks,
Sugar_fl
Boy, Sugar_fl: Sounds like you've got your hands full trying to keep those little green babies growing.
To tell you the truth, I don't much care for the pelletized petunia seed. I had much better germination rate with the scattered seed. But, I guess it makes planting much easier.
It really sounds like your seedlings aren't getting enough light. My fluorescents are almost resting on the tops of the domes, so I keep the light very close to the emerging seedlings. You might check your bulbs to make sure they aren't getting old, and you want to make sure they stay on for at least 12 hours a day. We have timers on mine so I don't have to remember to shut them on and off.
WZ,
Ours is also on a timer. We just bought them a couple of months ago. I may have put them down to low in the pot. I do have a few wave ones that was sent me so think I'll plant them. I'm sure they won't be true but will be interesting..They were gathered off a plant not bought.
Do U wet your soil 1st or just spinkle the top.. I wasn't sure what U meant. They will be very late but we do have a long growing season. Do U think I'd be better off planting them in a container winter sowing fashion outside?
Wish me luck, I need it :-)
Sugar_fl
When I fill a container with seed starter mix, I tamp it down with the bottom of another container so everything is nice and level..then I mist it with a spray bottle of tepid water. That helps the seeds stay put when I shake them out of the package (with the sand).
I have planted purple waves second generation and they came out true. The seed collected from those reverted back to a lovely lavender with deep veining and a wonderful fragrance.. not a bad deal at all!
As far as winter sowing goes, I'm probably not the right one to ask. I think that petunias like warm conditions to germinate, and they do need a lot of time to develop, so my gut feeling says plant them indoors.
However, you might take the flats outside during the day when it is warm, then set them inside when it gets chilly.. maybe someone smarter than me will see this thread and give us a suggestion!
