To those of you who might say petunias…ho-hum, there are exciting new developments in this group of plants making these popular annuals more versatile than ever. Until recently, garden centers offered two basic types of petunias - "grandiflora"[1] with their large flowers, and "multiflora" with medium sized flowers but more of them. Now, these categories are joined by petite "milliflora"[2] or 'Fantasy' petunias and spreading or "groundcover"[3] petunias.

Milliflora petunias as their name implies produce abundant quantities of one and a half inch flowers on compact plants They help fill a niche previously held by sweet allysum, lobelia and other small statured annuals; and are perfect for edging a garden or tucking into a container. There is no need to pinch these small petunias; the plants branch well on their own.

Whereas millifloras are more delicate than traditional petunias, the spreading or groundcover petunias are "knock your socks off" bold. 'Purple Wave, ;'Pink Wave'. 'Pampas Fire' and other supertunias only grow about 6 inches tall, but their long arching stems quickly cover the ground. Like millifloras, they require no pinching in order to branch freely. Space them about a foot and a half apart in the garden. These spreading petunias cost more than ordinary petunias, but are well worth it. They are nothing short of spectacular in hanging baskets, window boxes, or scrambling down a wall or hillside.