I bought a house last summer with good yard bones as far as pre-1950's plants and I have had lovely surprises this summer. There is a sturdy little flower that I'm calling a petunia that just doesn't quit blooming. It has popped up all over my yard, is resistant to drought and also to humidity. No care whatsoever. I found one reference to the plant in a book I no longer remember, but all the book said was that it was difficult to find seeds for this plant. Does anyone grow this petunia? Are there more colors than the white and the lavender colors? And I don't see any seeds. How do I get more of these?
Old-fashioned petunias
Picture please!
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My guess without a pic is maybe ruellia? Or maybe 'Million Dollar Bells' or something along those lines, the botanical name I can't remember, but its a lovely annual (and sometimes for me in Raleigh a perennial), totally drought resistant, blooms constantly and has small petunia-like flowers. I can send you a pic of either, if you need it for ID.
My digital cam is..uh...out of order. Will post pix when it is repaired or I get another one. Last night I stumbled across a reference in latest ed of Horticulture mag to "re-seeding petunias." Uncle Roy (not my uncle -who mows my large yard) assiduously protects these flowers because he remembers them from his grandmother's yard and is "proud to know" I'm keeping them. I'll check on Milliion Dollar Bells, Yotedog. Someday, I will. Meanwhile, I continue gardening by trial, error, love and what pleases me. I also read in Horticulture that William Frederick, Jr. once kept for 15 years (!!) a Viburnum opulus because he does not believe in planting without garden design. I won't be gardening much in 15 years. I'd better get these babies in the ground.
Thats so funny what you said about William Frederick, because I just read that yesterday, too. Not sure if I would have that much patience--I have to "house clean" periodically, usually in the depth of summer when I am tired of watering things that don't give me instant gratification! Of course, he had a greenhouse....Usually, I just get impatient, stick it in the ground, and end up moving it three times....