The Garden Guy always gets a smile when I present a beautiful mixed container on my Facebook page and the first response is, "Can those flowers hang in partnership with my Bubblegum?"
By that they mean, will their Supertunia Vista Bubblegum, the winner of 323 awards, cover up all the flowers I am presenting? The answer is most likely yes, and it’s time to head to the beach, or more precisely, Supertunia Bermuda Beach.
This doesn’t mean you should stop growing Supertunia Vista Bubblegum, which will bloom all summer while leaping over tall buildings (just kidding). It does mean that if you want to grow the Proven Winners Recipe of the Year, Acapulco Sun; the dazzling Bermuda Skies; or the delectable Cherryade, you need to know and grow Supertunia Bermuda Beach.
James, my color design guru son, recently discovered Supertunia Bermuda Beach and told me about this great new variety. I kind of chuckled as I told him this award-winner came out when he was in high school. The salmon coral color of the blooms fits the "Bermuda" name perfectly. Notice its name does not have the word "Vista" in it, telling you right away it is easier to work in smaller designer containers. James used Bermuda Beach with Supertunia Mini Vista Violet Star, which was a beautiful partnership.
Supertunia Bermuda Beach, called "The Best Petunia. Period." at its debut, reaches 12 inches tall with a potential spread of 30 inches. It doesn’t need deadheading, but at some point, usually around Aug. 1 for us, it will need cutting back. Regular feeding needs to be part of the regimen. We are partial to using a dilute water-soluble mix every other week.
Acapulco Sun, one of the Recipe of the Year winners, is the ultimate for those of you who love salmon, coral and peach. It features Superbells Coralina calibrachoa, Superbena Peachy Keen verbena and of course, Supertunia Bermuda Beach. It is perfect for baskets and small to midsize containers.
As I was looking at Supertunia Bermuda Beach recipes, I also fell in love with one called Cherryade. The partners are Superbells Pomegranate Punch calibrachoa and the dark purple Sweet Caroline Raven sweet potato. This is, simply put, drop-dead gorgeous.
The recipe called Bermuda Skies is magical and a feast for the eyes. It is light and like the first breath of spring. It features Superbells Yellow Chiffon calibrachoa, which is a soft yellow. The "sky" in the name no doubt comes from Laguna Sky Blue lobelia. Southerners may say lobelia disappears with the heat. That is perhaps more so when growing as a monoculture, but in a mixed container with other plants, you will have that touch of blue scattered throughout much longer than you anticipate. The Laguna series is new and introduces heat tolerance to a most-loved plant.
We are all ready for spring; we are all ready for our Bubblegum, as the throngs of gardeners would say. But The Garden Guy urges you to head back to the beach, Supertunia Bermuda Beach, for designs of salmon coral color like Acapulco Sun.
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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)
(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)
