Options for using petunias in the garden: learning to make a flower bed with marigolds and use various flowerpots. Petunias bloomed in the garden - photo, design of unusual flower beds Beautiful compositions from petunias

Petunia is a chic garden flower with which you can turn even the most neglected and unsightly area into a real colorful kingdom. Landscape designers adore petunia for its long flowering period, variety of colors, the possibility of application and how common plant, and as an ampelous one.

We will find out how best to plant a petunia on the site, what flowers this plant will combine in the most advantageous way, which ones can be used original flower beds and flower beds.

The petunia flower, oddly enough, belongs to the same botanical category as the potato - both of these plants are nightshade. Petunia is used in ornamental gardening not so long ago - only in the 19th century it was noticed by botanists and breeders.

A flower growing in nature does not have any outstanding decorative qualities, but its hybrid varieties amaze with their beauty and magnificence of colors. Note that petunia breeding does not stand still - every year, scientists and amateurs register all new plant varieties.

AT landscape design more often used ampelous varieties, characterized by increased decorativeness. As a rule, the diameter of the ampelous petunia flower is 5 cm, and most often the varieties are simple. However, breeders have already bred hybrid, terry ampelous varieties, which are distinguished by a unique decorative effect.

The color scheme of the plant is amazing: petunias come in literally all colors and shades. Most often on sale you can find petunias of the following color:

• white;
• purple;
• pink;
• coral;
• cream.

There are also rare species colors up to black. This diversity allows you to use petunia when creating various elements landscape design.

Petunia is originally from Latin America, but has perfectly adapted to our cool climate. However, this flower can be cultivated in a harsh climate only as an annual (in nature it is a perennial).

It is necessary to plant a plant in open ground in the form of seedlings: seeds planted directly on a garden bed may well not sprout. In addition, the flower tolerates picking and transplanting quite adequately.

In general, the popularity of using petunias in landscape design is due to the following qualities of the plant:

• unpretentiousness in care;
• variety of colors, varieties;
• high resistance to drought;
• long-term flowering period;
• the possibility of using for planting in closed containers.

A powerful root system of flowers allows them to be cultivated even in small containers.

Growing site requirements

Petunia will grow best in a sunny area, so it is better not to use it to decorate shady flower beds. In a shady place, the flower will stretch upward, become weak, pale, and lose all its decorative effect.

As for the soil, it is recommended to plant the petunia in fertile soil with neutral acidity. Most of all, the plant will like sandy or loamy soil. In heavy soil - dense and airtight petunia will not grow well. Therefore, if the soil on the site is just that, it is necessary to add sand to it.

Combination with other colors

Beauty petunia can be combined on the site with various types plants, creating original compositions with them. Landscape designers recommend choosing plants that bloom for a long time, stand well during the heat, and do not dry out as companions for petunias. Flowers such as:

• marigolds (calendula);
• Snapdragon;
• pelargonium;
• levkoy;
• marigold;
• verbena;
• ageratum.

The following plants can be used as a background for flower arrangements:

• coleus;
• cineraria;
• chlorophytum, etc.

In the spring, petunia will look good along with graceful bulbs:

• daffodils;
• crocuses;
• hyacinths;
• tulips, etc.

When the bulbs fade, they must be dug up and replaced with other types of plants.

The flowerbed under the tree looks beautiful. In this case the best neighbors will become:

• begonias;
• ornamental cereals;
• lilies.

In closed containers in the best way petunia looks next to:

• balsam;
• verbena;
• viola;
• pelargonium;
• lobelia.

With marigolds, petunia looks very good. Therefore, it is possible and necessary to use such a spectacular neighborhood when arranging not only round flower beds, but also any other flower beds.

Convenience is also in the fact that the flowering period of these plants is almost the same, and their care is identical. With marigolds, it is better to use bush varieties of petunias. You can alternate these plants in any way that your imagination tells you.

Orange marigolds look the most advantageous: their rejected and upright varieties. Particularly sophisticated gardeners also use such varieties of marigolds as terry, semi-double and chrysanthemum-shaped - petunias look especially decorative against their background.

The second flower, after marigolds, that looks most impressive with petunia is pansies. In addition, these violets have a lot of shades - you can plant them in a single range or play with colors.

The combination with pelargonium is also very advantageous: garden geraniums are unpretentious, bloom for a long time and very beautifully. The combination of petunia and snapdragon looks elegant, besides, the latter is also very unpretentious and drought-resistant.

Use cases in landscape design

The plant is also called the “queen of flower beds” - and it is not surprising: any, even the most inexperienced gardener, will be able to arrange a wonderful picturesque flower bed with the help of petunias. In addition, there is no particular difficulty in making simple flower beds with your own hands. Consider the most popular and spectacular options for using petunias in garden landscape design.

Monolumba

This is the simplest option that does not require much thought and preparation, however, it is quite stylish and beautiful. You can plant petunias of the same species and variety - then the flower bed will become one big bright spot in the garden.

And you can choose flowers different varieties and colors - then the mono-flower will become especially picturesque and attractive. You can decorate a mono-flower with a coniferous plant planted in the center of the composition. Thuja, cypress, juniper are perfect.

raised flower bed

The effect of elevation is created by the vertical walls of the flower bed. These walls do not have a bottom - flowers grow directly in open field. To create this composition, ampelous varieties are used, creating beautiful effect overhangs.

Mini flowerbed

This version of the flower arrangement is also called the "landing pocket". The mini-flower bed will become ideal solution, if most of garden patio paved with tiles. Between the tiles, several islands of earth are usually left - these will be planting pockets for flowers. It is better to plant petunias in this case large-flowered varieties- then large buds, as they grow, will completely hide pockets with earth.

Round flower bed

It is recommended to take petunias in saturated colors for round flower beds: purple, pink, white for contrast. Thus, the composition will turn out bright and spectacular. Flowers must be planted in a circle in this case. Bright orange marigolds in the center of the composition look beautiful, they give the flower bed a complete look.

It is also recommended to plant a border: in this capacity, an undersized coleus is perfect. The border will protect the flower bed, help create its correct shape. Marigolds must be taken tall so that the flower bed takes the form of a regular sloping dome - such a composition will look unusually impressive.

vertical flower bed

Ampelous petunia looks great in various hanging planters and containers. You can create entire multi-tiered hanging compositions from flowers of different varieties and colors, decorating verandas, loggias, gazebos with them.

In addition to hanging pots vertical view landscaping also involves the use of floor and wall containers. These options also look impressive and picturesque in their own way, they can serve as a real decoration of the site.

flower ball

Extremely decorative way decorations garden landscape. In addition, such a ball of petunias will look beautiful in any corner of the site. To make a base, a frame for a ball with your own hands, you need wire, and, in fact, the hands of a master.

You will also need sphagnum moss as a filler - you can buy it at flower shop. After the wire frame is built, the center is stuffed peat soil, edges - sphagnum. Then flowers are planted in the cells - ampel picturesque varieties.

Vases

Using flowerpots of different sizes for planting petunias in them is a great idea. You can either buy flowerpots or make your own. The advantage of flowerpots is that you can put them in any corner of the site - where there is a need.

We can say that these are some kind of mobile flower beds. A homemade flowerpot can be made from improvised materials: car tires, unnecessary old buckets, even pots and jeans.

Flower garden from boxes

This option will look great in a summer cottage. In addition, flower boxes can even be placed on the fence - in any other place in the garden where you like it. The choice of boxes is limited only by your imagination and financial capabilities: the containers can be ordinary unassuming wooden, forged heavy metal, and plastic, clay, terracotta.

gravel garden

Now this way of decorating the garden landscape is becoming very popular. In addition, it is not difficult to make such a gravel garden, but it looks great, gives the site an unusually stylish and well-groomed look (see photo).

It is recommended to plant petunias in a gravel garden along with ornamental cereals, lilies. Petunias themselves are better to choose dark saturated shades - burgundy, purple: they will look at the background of gray gravel in the most picturesque way.

So, you can use petunias in landscape design in different ways. Options various flower beds and flower arrangements - a lot: any summer resident and gardener will find a suitable one for himself. The long flowering of petunias will decorate your garden for the whole summer, and the brightness and variegation of flowers will be a real treat for the eyes.

Petunia is one of the most popular and widespread annual flower crops. Currently, the variety of its varieties is simply amazing. Among them there are both low bush plants for decorating various borders and creating flower beds, as well as giant varieties, the length of the stems of which is good care may be more than 1 meter. So, how can you plant a petunia in the country or garden plot?

How to plant a petunia on the site: methods and technology

All existing on this moment petunia varieties are necessarily grown seedling way. It explains quite long term seedling cultivation. So, for example, terry varieties bloom only after 3 months from sowing, and large-flowered varieties after 2-2.5.

There are quite a few different techniques for growing petunia seedlings.. Below we will look at the most common of them.

Growing seedlings in common containers

The simplest and affordable way cultivation. Suitable for any plastic containers, the main thing is to equip drainage holes in them. The soil must be sufficiently loose, moisture-intensive and nutritious. Petunia seedlings are very sensitive, so it is best to use a ready-made soil mixture for growing seedlings of flower crops.

Depending on the form of release, the seeds can be pelleted or simply loose. The first option is certainly preferable, such petunia dragees are faster and easier to place at the right distance from each other.

But bulk seeds also have their advantages. Firstly, they are much cheaper than their pelleted counterparts, and secondly, they germinate much faster and easier. Therefore, if there is no experience in sowing petunias, it is best to start learning from them.

After sowing is completed, the soil surface is well moistened with a spray gun, and the container itself is covered with a film or a piece of glass to create a greenhouse effect. The rate of seed germination directly depends on the ambient temperature. At 18-20°, this process can drag on for 2 weeks or even more, and at 30°, fresh seeds begin to germinate as early as 7-8 days.

Very important do not miss the moment of the appearance of the first shoots, in the absence of sufficient lighting, it can stretch out strongly even in a day. And this will subsequently have a very strong impact on the quality of seedlings. Petunia seedlings are very small, so you need to be very careful when watering them. Moisturize them best with a spray bottle.

After the appearance of the second true leaf, they begin to pick the seedlings into separate cups. At this point, the root system of the plants is still quite small, so for convenience, you can use a toothpick with a broken tip. After picking, the plants are shaded for several days. This helps them deal with stress faster and better. Further care of seedlings is timely watering and loosening of the soil surface.

Growing seedlings in peat tablets

Many flower growers for growing seedlings of petunias use peat tablets. Their use allows you to avoid such a laborious process as picking. Peat tablets must be soaked before use. To do this, they are placed in any suitable container and poured with a sufficient amount of warm water.

After 20-30 minutes, they will swell, after which the remaining water is drained, and the tablets themselves are slightly squeezed. Now they need to be placed in a suitable size Plastic container. After placing the tablets, you can start sowing seeds. Depending on their size, 1 to 3 petunias can be placed on each.

After placing the seeds, the tablets are moistened on top from a fine spray, after which the containers are covered with a film on top. Subject to all conditions, after 10 days it will already be possible to see the first shoots.

Planting seedlings in open ground

Well-developed petunia seedlings should have 4-5 leaves and be stocky by the time they are planted in open ground. If it is strongly elongated, then during the growing process, significant violations of the temperature and light modes. When planting, such plants will have to be additionally formed.

For growing petunias, open, well-lit areas are best suited. The soil must be fertile and well-drained. Petunias are much easier to put up with a lack of moisture than with stagnant water.

Compositions of petunias in the flower garden

Petunia is a universal culture, it can be very advantageously combined with most annual and perennial flower crops.

Why flowers are good in landscape design

At the moment, petunia is one of the most common annual crops in landscape design. Its popularity is explained by the following:

1. Unpretentiousness.
2. An abundance of colors.
3. Relatively high heat and drought resistance.
4. Possibility of use as a container culture.

Petunia with other flowers: the best plant companions

Petunia itself is a chic culture. But to create flower beds and flower beds, it very often has to be combined with other flowers. To make petunias worthy of competition, they must also be sufficiently heat-resistant and unpretentious in care. Below are the top 10 most popular petunia companions:

• Pelargonium or geranium. It is an excellent companion, quite unpretentious in care, and its flowering period lasts until the very frost.
• Marigold. They will also become worthy opponents. They bloom profusely and for a long time until frost.

• Snapdragon. Spectacular snapdragon inflorescences will perfectly complement the petunia flower bed. And in terms of unpretentiousness and drought resistance, it differs little from petunias.
• Ageratum. Also known under popular name Longflower. Blooms quickly and blooms for a long time.
• Verbena. It is valued for its unpretentiousness, abundance of colors and the ability to withstand light frosts without any problems.
• Coleus. Spectacular and unpretentious decorative and deciduous culture. Pairs perfectly with petunias. Very well suited for creating bright accents in the flower bed.
• Lobelia. Relatively new annual. Very well suited for framing petunia beds.
• Levkoy. It is also quite unpretentious and drought-resistant. Gets along very well with petunias.
• Calendula. Currently, there are terry varieties of this crop. Valued for abundant and very long flowering.
• Cineraria. Unpretentious and beautiful decorative leafy plant. With its help, you can create a spectacular frame for a flower bed.

We create a flower bed of marigolds and petunias

Marigolds and petunias are one of the most profitable combinations in landscape design. To create a flower bed, it is best to use undersized bush varieties petunias and rejected marigolds. Choice suitable varieties big enough. Marigolds should be planted in a flower bed with seedlings at the age of 1 month. Petunia is also planted in 2 month old seedlings.

To create a carpet effect, the distance between plants should be no more than 20 cm. Petunia and marigold plants can be alternated in any convenient way.

We create beautiful flower beds from petunias with our own hands

Create at their summer cottage beautiful flower bed from a petunia with your own hands is not difficult. This culture goes very well with almost all annual flowers.

Vertical planting of petunias

Vertical planting of petunias makes it very profitable to plant a wide variety of places in the garden. Types of designs for vertical gardening enough, but According to their location, they can be classified into the following types:

• floor;
• Suspended;
• Wall.

Their shape and size are not limited by anything other than the imagination of the owner of the site.

How to make a flower ball out of petunias

A do-it-yourself petunia flower ball is a great alternative to long-bored flowerpots and flower beds. It can be placed very advantageously in almost any corner of the garden. To make it, you will need wire, sphagnum moss and of course patience.

A fairly strong and dense spherical wire frame is constructed from the wire, which is then stuffed with sphagnum moss along the edges, and in the center with peat soil. After that, ampelous varieties of petunias are planted in the cells of this design.

Purchased and homemade flowerpots for petunias

Planting petunias in homemade and ready-made flowerpots is one of the most accessible simple ways to decorate a garden plot. Their main advantage is that they can be placed in any convenient place.

Homemade flowerpots have one undeniable advantage is financial availability. You can make them from almost any available improvised materials. For example, very often old car tires, cracked plastic buckets or basins, and even leaky pots and cast iron, which can be placed directly on the ground, or use various coasters.

Decorative fences of the flower garden

To decorate the edges of flower beds and create borders of borders, various decorative fences. Without them, the design of the yard will be incomplete. For these purposes, you can purchase ready-made plastic fences or make decorative fences with your own hands.

Other design options

Of the other design options for flower beds with petunias, it is worth noting the use of various stones or even paving slabs. They can be interleaved and combined as you like.

It is not at all difficult to create beautiful compositions from petunias and other annuals in the garden. This culture is absolutely unpretentious and gets along very easily with almost all ornamental plants.

There are flowers that don't need to be introduced. It is worth seeing the petunias in the garden, the design of the flower beds, and it becomes clear without words, this is the perfect summer. With its help, it is easy to implement the most daring design ideas, and for vertical gardening, it is just a godsend.

I just want to exclaim: “You, darling, are good in all your outfits!”

Lady Perfection Hispanic

She broke into the world decorative floriculture not so long ago, some 200 years ago. That's what broke in. The petunia flower looks like a sultry beauty with an admixture of common blood, eclipsed by the flower aristocracy. A strong, hardy, unpretentious plant, with the tireless care of breeders, acquired an aristocratic gloss, from a naive village simpleton turned into Lady Perfection.

The birthplace of the popular annual plant of the Solanaceae family is South America, from where it spread throughout the planet, right up to the Arctic Circle. The wild ancestors of our heroine were not particularly beautiful, at least they thought so until the first hybrid plant bloomed. From 1834 begins magical transformation a modest letnik, the hybridization of which was taken up by eminent breeding companies in the USA, Great Britain, and Japan.

Today it is the best-selling flower, the seeds of which make up a third of the world's assortment.

What for which flower bed to choose?

Plant breeding has progressed and is advancing on several fronts.

• There was an enlargement and improvement of the flower - the result was varieties with simple, double, fringed, corrugated petals.
• Various forms of the plant were created - tall and compact, spherical, curly.
• Improved and multiplied color. Petunia flowers come in all shades of the rainbow except for yellow and orange (which is what breeders are working on today). There are varieties of monophonic, two-color, with edging along the edge, contrasting venation, and a star-shaped pattern.

How not to get lost when choosing varieties and hybrids for the garden?

large-flowered group

Large-flowered petunias include hybrids and cultivars, the flower of which is 7–12 cm in diameter. These are also the most beautiful representatives of a large family - bright, juicy, with unusual shape petals.

Examples of sorts:

• Pikoti F1 (petals with a white border and a ruffled edge);
• Falcon F1 (flower with contrasting venation);
• Hit Parade F1 (early, full range of colors);
• Daddy F1 (saturated color with contrasting veins);
• Ensign F1 (blooms until frost);
• Red Mon F1 (corrugated edge of the petals).

Petunias of this group will look great in the design of carpet flower beds, paths, lawns, as shown in the photo of the flower bed below. By and large, these are universal flowers that are suitable for both open ground and container plantings.

Compact multi-flowered petunias

The advantage of the large group of "multiflora" petunias is a compact, branchy plant with an abundance of medium-sized flowers (ø 4–7 cm). As well as their cold resistance, resistance to wind and bad weather. Hybrids are more decorative than varieties. They are less sprawling, form a bush, similar to a flowering ball.

Among flower growers, the following series of hybrids are very popular.

• Merlin F1 (compact multi-flowered plants up to 25 cm tall, bicolored);
• Mirage F1 (with double flowers);
• Pram Time F1 (profusely flowering, richly colored flowers with wavy petals).

Compact petunias are purchased for breaking lawns in the garden, alpine slides, as in the photo below, decorating balconies, all kinds of raised flower beds.

unpretentious floribunda

And if you want a lot of flowers, and not small ones? There is an intermediate group - "floribunda". Her gramophones are relatively large, up to 8 cm in diameter, flowering is plentiful, among other important advantages are unpretentiousness in care, nutrition, heat and wind resistance.

The most advantageous varieties of this group look in bulk - in large flower beds, flowering monograms on the lawn, in the design of cascading flower beds.

Examples of sorts:

• Sonya F1 (bright purple, crimson, burgundy flowers, with venation, star, petal edging);
• Strength F1 (represented by 13 colors, not afraid of rain and heat).

Queen of vertical flower beds - ampelous group

Petunia in hanging flowerpots, planters, balcony boxes - who has not admired the photo of vertical flower beds with this weaving beauty? Ampelous varieties and hybrids differ from other representatives of the genus in the ability of branches to grow mainly downward, falling down with beautiful lashes. In vertical gardening, the annual confidently occupies the largest niche, far pushing aside its closest competitors - pelargonium, nasturtium, fuchsia, verbena.

Note! Significant drawback many forms of ampelous petunias (surfinia, for example) - predominantly vegetative propagation. This does not always suit people who are inexperienced in floriculture, for whom seed propagation is more familiar and understandable. Thankfully, in recent times hybrids appeared that can be obtained not only by cuttings, but also by sowing.

What can you offer lovers of weaving petunias?

• Surfinia (numerous series with large solid colors saturated color, there are terry varieties);
• Supertunia (7 varieties of purple-raspberry shades);
• Wonderwave or Fortunia F1 (bright gramophones with a dark throat, propagated by seeds);
• Conchita (abundantly flowering, medium-sized flowers (up to 5 cm), bright, with contrasting venation).

Ideas, options, photos of the design of vertical flower beds

Bright, long-blooming gramophones can decorate any flower garden, but they look especially advantageous vertical flower beds for petunias, which, moreover, are easy to build with your own hands.

Alpine slide

The first option involves using climbing plant in a relief garden. If there is an alpine slide, a few compact petunia bushes will dilute the interesting, but, in general, rather modest subalpine flora. Here, the main thing is not to overdo it.

Since petunia is a light-loving, heat-resistant plant, plant it on sunny side stone hill. Choose discreet colors so as not to contrast with common style flower garden.

Flowerpots, planters, hanging baskets

A simple option for vertical gardening is planting flowers in hanging containers. With their help, decorate balconies, stairs, porches, patios, gazebos, decorate walls, openings.

For such mini-flower beds, it is necessary to purchase varieties adapted to growing in conditions of a small amount of soil. This is an ampelous group, in particular, surfinia, supertunia, as well as representatives of the “multiflora” class. Low-growing plants have a developed root system capable of maintaining the plant at the peak of flowering for a long time.

raised flower bed

Raised flower beds provide room for imagination. This is a ground structure, towering above the level of the site. Vertical flower beds for petunias of a similar plan can be made with your own hands from improvised materials.

1. From cut car tires of different diameters. Round containers are made from them, filled with soil and placed on top of each other like a pyramid. The second option is to cut out sheet metal the bottom according to the diameter of the tire, the resulting containers are strung on a metal rod, rigidly fixed by welding.
2. From old baskets, buckets, bags. The material for the construction of the landing tank does not play a role. It is important to beautifully fix the raised flower bed, beat it with elements of garden decor. But even if this did not work out, the blooming letnik, gradually growing, forms a flowering ball.
3. From asbestos-cement or plastic pipes of large diameter. Pipes cut into pieces different heights, dig them into the soil, grouping 3-4 pieces. The inside is filled with a fertile substrate and petunias are planted. You get a beautiful multi-tiered cascade.
4. From flower vases and pots. For the base, take a flowerpot of large diameter. It is filled with soil and "pinned" to the ground with a strong metal rod passing through the center. Pots for a future petunia are strung on it, as shown in the photo below, and a raised flower bed is filled with soil.

Flowerbed-cascade or tower

A variant of a raised flower bed is a cascade of flowers. It is made of a metal mesh with large cells and agrofiber (lutrasil, burlap).

With the help of a grid, a cylinder of the required height and diameter is constructed, the inside is lined with agrofiber, filled fertile soil. Flowers are planted from above, as well as along the side surface, making cuts in the agrofiber through the mesh cells.

Flowerbed-tree

If there is a withered tree in the garden, do not rush to uproot it. It will serve as an excellent basis for a vertical flower bed.

Along the perimeter of the crown in the internodes are attached landing tanks, better wide and not very high. Ampelous annual hybrids are planted in them. Such trees look more stylish if one plant variety is used. Who loves a holiday in the garden, plant flowers of different colors.

flower arch

Arched structures are not uncommon on household plots. This form is often used in the construction of gazebos, covered patios, driveway or alley. One of the options for decorating it is a planter with an ampelous petunia.

There are several options for attaching landing containers:

• hang baskets;
• fasten balcony boxes on the crossbeams;
• link "soft" planting containers made of agrofibre, etc.

When constructing an arch, the main thing is not to overdo it - after all, you still need to take care of it.

Flowerbed as an art object

Petunia is a fertile material for creating flower art objects. Do you think this is only available to advanced landscape designers? But even if nothing original comes to mind, you can peep.

Features of growing petunias in small containers

There is no doubt that do-it-yourself vertical flower beds for petunias are beautiful and unusual. But in order for the flower in the garden to be like in the picture, you need to properly care for the plant enclosed in a small container. And here there are secrets.

1. Choose planting material, originally intended for container farming.
2. Plant in humus-rich soil when planting. Don't forget drainage. Add hydrogel to the substrate - these are balls that retain moisture and release it gradually. Use long-acting fertilizer in case you forget to feed on time.
3. Ampel landings need more frequent watering, because they have no connection with the deep layers of the soil.
4. In addition to watering, practice spraying, especially in the heat. Use a fine mist sprayer to avoid damaging the delicate petals.
5. In order for the plant to please with bright, abundant flowering, weekly liquid top dressing with full fertilizer is needed. Make sure it contains potassium.

With these simple, but important components of care, your petunias will bloom until frost, causing genuine and well-deserved admiration of others.

Ways to form a flower ball from a petunia

Petunia in the garden - application in landscape design

Petunia (lat. Petunia) is a herbaceous perennial plant native to South America. On the territory of the Russian Federation it is grown as an letnik. Many varieties and hybrids have been bred, differing in the type of growth, bush height, shape and color of flowers.

Petunia is grown in seedlings from seeds. Bush forms are also propagated by cuttings. The seeds of the plant are very small. Sow them superficially. Well proven sowing in the snow. Planting dates depend on the type of petunia: ampel varieties are sown in late January - February, bush forms can be sown in March.

Germinate petunia in a well-lit place, at a temperature of plus 20 to 23 degrees Celsius. To do this, equip mini-greenhouses, covering the containers with film or glass. Shoots appear in 7-10 days. At first they develop very slowly and require attention - watering from a spray bottle, removing condensate, round-the-clock illumination.

With the advent of real leaves, the petunia dives twice. After the first pick, the seedlings are fed with calcium nitrate, after the second - with mullein infusion or any complex fertilizer for flowers (Florist, Crystalon, Skotts).

When the seedlings reach 7-10 cm in height, pinch them for better bushiness. On ampelous varieties, this procedure is not carried out. In May, petunia seedlings are planted in the garden. For her, choose the sunniest and most wind-protected place. The soil should be light and absorbent. Sandy loams and loams with neutral acidity, well seasoned with humus or peat, are well suited for petunias.

Between seedlings of small-flowered spray petunias, they maintain a distance of 15-20 cm, large-flowered - 25-30 cm, ampelous - 35-50 cm. When planting in a flower pot, it is important to ensure a sufficient amount of land, otherwise lush flowering can't wait. For bush forms of petunias, a capacity of 5 liters is sufficient, for ampelous forms - 10 liters, for vigorous varieties (Typhoon, Tornado, Tidal) - at least 30 liters.

Further care for petunias includes regular watering, weed removal, pruning of faded inflorescences. The soil should always always remain loose and not dry out.

Petunias are fed in the garden, photos of which demonstrate all their beauty, every 10 days. For this, drugs such as Crystalon, Planton, Florist, Agricola, Camera, Skotts are used. Responsive petunia and the introduction of organic matter.

Prevention of diseases and pests of petunia

Subject to the rules of agricultural technology, petunia develops a strong immunity to diseases. Irregular watering, poor lighting, dense plantings can reduce it.

Diseases such as galls, tobacco mosaic and necrosis, potato and tomato viruses are not treatable. Affected plants should be destroyed immediately. To prevent these ailments, petunia should be regularly treated against aphids - the main carrier of viruses.

In case of infection with fungal diseases: powdery mildew, rot, spotting, black leg - petunias are treated with a solution of copper sulfate. Biological preparations are also effective against fungi - Fitosporin, Gaupsin, Fitolavin.

Of the pests for petunias are dangerous: aphids, thrips, whitefly, spider mite. Spraying with insecticides - Aktara, Konfidor, Aktellik will help to cope with them.

The use of petunias in landscape design

Unpretentious and bright petunia, the photo in the garden of which is presented in the article, will decorate any flower bed. Use it in solo plantings in flower beds various shapes and in the design of mixborders, in rockeries and for vertical gardening, in hanging planters for planting pergolas, arbors, balconies, terraces.

Beautiful petunias in rectangular flower beds, planted in even rows. You can use one shade of colors or arrange contrasting colors. In round and curved flower beds, the petunia is often used to outline the borders.

Petunia will become bright accent in rockeries and Alpine rollercoaster. Among conifers and grasses, petunia looks very original. also in rocky gardens use ampelous forms of petunia to decorate large boulders.

Vertical cultivation of petunias in the garden is very popular.

For these purposes, use coasters with various pots, bags, wooden pallets, metal mesh, pipes.

For creating original flower beds designers use all sorts of improvised means. It can be: broken pots, old beds and other furniture, garden cars, car tires, basins, baths.

Petunias in the garden: design, photo mixborders, combination with other flowers

In flowerbeds, petunias look favorably next to pelargoniums, marigolds, snapdragon, verbena, balsam, levkoy, especially if you select contrasting colors of flowers.

The background can be deciduous perennials - hosts, bruner, ornamental cereals, cineraria.

Mix plantings of petunias with pelargonium, begonia, fuchsia, succession, verbena, nasturtium are successful in the cache-pot. You can also create compositions from petunias of different types in a flower pot.

Outcome

Petunias are loved by gardeners for their unpretentiousness, long flowering, bright colors. In landscape design, they are universal - these flowers decorate flower beds, houses, gazebos, balconies. By turning on fantasy, with the help of petunias and improvised means, you can create original compositions in the garden.

- amazing creatures, the secret of the charm of which has not yet been discovered. Perhaps one of the reasons for popular love is their versatility: with equal success, petunias will decorate country and city balconies, in both cases they will delight with lush flowering, if you do not skimp on watering and fertilizers.

Another undoubted plus in favor of petunias is simple care. And given that there are more and more varieties and hybrids of various colors every year, the conclusion is obvious: petunias - perfect flowers for decoration suburban area. interesting ideas there is no number of accommodations, but we have selected the best of the best: you can take them as a basis and modify them to your taste.

Color Magic

This is where limitless scope for experimentation opens up. color solution! Pastel and bright, plain and colorful - everyone will choose a combination to their liking. Fans of a certain color can safely equip a monochromatic flower bed - it will look elegant and respectable.

Want more colors? Do not be afraid to ruin the flower garden: in the case of petunias, this is simply impossible. Feel free to combine the incongruous, exceed everything allowable norms colors - the result will still be great.

More fun together

Petunias look very nice when planted with other species (and do not oppress them!), Contrasting combinations are especially good: the shape and color of inflorescences or leaves. Petunia and cineraria are an extremely successful composition, where everything is in moderation: both nuance and contrast.

Gentle romantic compositions are obtained in classic pink-white-lilac tones.

But how good are petunias in a colorful flower garden, where an abundance of colors pleases the eye and sets you in an optimistic mood!

You can look at this landing method from an applied point of view - as a tool! The blues attacked - please visit the flower garden, and it will dissipate in a matter of minutes. And even better - regular preventive contemplation)

If it is possible to plant petunias in the open field, great! They will be flawless in mixed flower beds, equally successfully fulfilling the role of a contrasting or background plant.

Height Alignment

Perhaps the most popular and spectacular way to place petunias is hanging planters: plants tolerate the conditions of a limited volume of soil without problems. In pots, they will bloom no worse than in open ground, if they are properly cared for.

If petunias like everything, they will show themselves in all their glory, and then words are powerless to convey the magic of forms, richness of color and riot of flowering.

Look how pretty they are! Looking at flower hats, it is hard to believe that the plants are not artificial.

Color combination options are endless.

And if you plan to plant petunias with other species, select plants with similar requirements for placement and care conditions (soil type, illumination, frequency and volume of watering, top dressing, and so on).

Another favorite place of residence for petunias is balcony boxes.
Of course, balcony - the definition is conditional: boxes can wander around the site, comfortably settling on window sills, woodpile, railings and in any other places chosen by the owner.

Due to the abundance of flowers, petunias often do not see leaves, so adding a little greenery to the composition will not hurt.

Ampels will be especially good:, dichondra and any others that are pleasing to your eye.

Neighbors of petunias should not be aggressive (the constant struggle for a place in the sun and nutrition will certainly not have the best effect on the decorativeness of plants).

By the way, about the place under the sun: petunias are more and more boldly exploring new spaces - look how cleverly they saddled the fences!

Advantages of mobile flower beds

The ideal solution for those who constantly want something new in the guise of a summer residence is petunias in containers. By rearranging the containers from place to place, you will get rid of the bored look and maintain your physical form at the proper level.

Place petunia pots by the door and they will do a great job as a charming gatekeeper.

They will decorate even the most strict staircase, lining up in a row at its base or, if the width allows, sitting comfortably on the steps.

Blooming petunias will magically transform any corner of the cottage: a simple lattice will instantly turn into an element of stylish decor...

...and the usual one will look like a talented designer has worked on its design.

Any corner of the garden will sparkle with new colors if you move several containers of petunias into it. By the way, this very corner can be different even every day, if only you are not tired of carrying flower pots))

Do you want to be in the flower kingdom? With container petunias and such a wish can be fulfilled!

The number of containers is limited only by your desire and the size of the cottage.

Unexpected turn

Graceful bushes of petunias will visually soften the strict curb stone fences.

Behind lush bushes you can hide functional, but not too attractive border tapes or simple framing of garden paths.

Turn on imagination!

It is simply impossible to list all the ways to place petunias! Having just mastered the classics - wall planters ...

... restless summer residents immediately begin to ennoble windows, flower beds, arrange vertical flower beds(owners of small country estates, take note of this practical option, come in handy!)

Without stopping there, they use any containers for landing - from baskets (one looks good, but if there are a lot of them - a magical sight, right?) ...

... to hand-knitted boxes.

Lawns are decorated with stylish blooming amphoras.

Petunias are sent on a voyage around the site on a transport that has turned up: blooming beauties they look equally impressive in an expensive forged bicycle stand.

And in a real garden wheelbarrow, which went on a well-deserved rest.

Do you think that the fantasy of summer residents has been exhausted on this? Wrong! How do you like this idea?

Well, if there was absolutely nothing suitable at hand, you can please an ordinary stump ...

... or a leaky teapot: they will surely like life in a new role!