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Bigger and better is not always the best. Sometimes beautiful things come in small packages. Introducing the minis! There is a new trend in mini petunias that can create a jewel box of colors in your garden. We have trialed the Itsy™, Blanket® and Mini Vista® petunias for several years now and they put on a magnificent display of color! They are versatile, in the ground or in a container, creating a well-behaved carpet of constant color all season. During Cincinnati Botanical Garden Zoo’s Best Annual Trials, we have noticed some mini petunias will extend a good flowering carpet into late September, and a few into early October. They grow in a way that is conducive to a small area, yet they spread enough to banish those pesky weeds from your garden and leave no area un-flowered. And under proper growing conditions, they are resilient, rarely giving in to fugal problems, but always do their best in well drained to dry areas. These minis offer low-maintenance way to color your garden beautiful!

Syngenta introduced Itsy™ Petunias. They are smallest of these new successful varieties, and they never disappoint. They literally carpet the ground or a container in a well-behaved, mass of color. They are a perfect option to create a fairyland of color in your garden. Both Itsy™ Pink and Itsy™ White have been a huge success for us in our 2023/24 trials, and we look forward to trialing Itsy™ Magenta’s impact in 2025.

Another new trend is the mixing of colors, which, when done properly, can really have a beautiful effect. A good example is the Petunia Blanket® Silver Surprise from Green Fuse Botanicals. It is truly unique in its swagger, boasting two contrasting colors that will occasionally meld into one petunia flower. It is a pleasing combination that suggests a natural blending of color within the plant. True to its name, the Blanket® petunias cover the ground in flowering, soft, fluffy, blanket-like bed that makes you want to settle in for a dreamy nap. These Petunias are offered in a diverse melody of colors and patterns, but our trialed favorites so far are Blanket® Silver Surprise and Blanket® Purple. We look forward to continuing trials of new color selections in the coming year.

Last, but not least, there are the Mini Vista® Supertunias. With years of practice and success, Proven Winners has produced very successful petunia that can survive in most conditions. Their petunia color patterns are boundless, and now they are working on their mini petunia line. They create more of a mounded cushion form in a bed. With a large color palette to choose from, you could almost create a crazy quilt pattern in your flower garden. Our newest favorites in 2023/24 were the Supertunia Mini Vista® Violet Star and Supertunia Mini Vista® Plum Veined.

We suggest trying all three varieties, making your own comparison. This will help you determine the best mini petunia for your garden needs. But be aware, these flowers are best in a full sun situation and dislike wet feet. A part sun situation will also bring decent amounts of flowers but maybe have a bit more open coverage than you would expect in a full 6 to 8 hours of sun. So, plant away, and prepare yourself for a jewel box of garden colors carpeting every corner!