Georgia Magazine - April 2014 - (Page 50B)

Gardens plant of the month blossoms! Bright S pringtime is when bold colors blossom everywhere. Why not display these vibrant colors in your yard throughout summer and fall as well? A new plant variety, the petchoa, is an annual that offers bright, bold colors for months to come. This variety combines the best features of its parent plants-the petunia and calibrachoa-into one great plant. Like the petunia, petchoas produce large fl owers that can span up to 2 inches across. The petunia lineage also makes petchoas easy to grow. The calibrachoa traits allow the petchoa to be well-branched and create numerous blooms on every stem. Petchoas are fast-growing plants that can handle many conditions, from rain, heat, wind, humidity and even some light frosts, which help make them ideal for Georgia's climate. This high tolerance to various weather conditions allows them to Vibrant petchoas in bold colors brighten up container gardens and hanging baskets, from spring into fall. stay in bloom and nearly covered in fl owers from spring until fall. A semi-mounding plant, petchoas create globes of large, colorful fl owers in the garden. The plants can reach about a foot tall and stretch about 2 feet wide. A semi-trailing plant, they are great for container gardens, hanging baskets and garden beds. Depending on the variety, pet- choa fl owers can be blue, cherry red, bright rose-pink, light pink, purple, yellow-orange, amber and deep burgundy. Most of the fl owers have a sheen to the petals, which adds depth to the plants' color. Since the foliage is not sticky, the plant always has a clean, strong look. There is also no need for deadheading these fl owers because any spent blooms fall off cleanly. Petchoas thrive in full, bright sun with moderate watering. They grow best in well-drained soil that is kept consistently moist. However, petchoas are able to take brief periods of drought. Like petunias, these plants have a vigorous root system that is able to absorb nutrients well. This is vital to growing big blooms and maintaining good foliage and overall plant health. Like their parent plants, be sure to fertilize petchoas regularly throughout the growing season using a fertilizer designed to enhance blooming, such as a 5-10-5 formula. Source: Pike Nurseries, www. pikenurseries.com For more on Georgia gardens, see "Coloring the landscape," page 44, and "A wee, whimsical place," page 28. 50B More online at www.georgiamagazine.org GEORGIA MAGAZINE Bonus content COURTESY OF PIKE NURSERIES COURTESY OF PIKE NURSERIES http://www.pikenurseries.com http://www.pikenurseries.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - April 2014

Georgia Magazine - April 2014
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Liberty Notes
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar of Events
Festival Guide
Georgia's Energy Outlook
Currents
Falling in love with Georgia
More on GPB and Georgia Grown
Organ donations: The gift of self
More on organ donation
A wee, whimsical place
Catch spring fever!
More on travel across the Southeast
Visiting covered bridges
Around Georgia
My Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Second helping: More Vidalia recipes
Snapshot!
More Snapshot photos
Plant of the month
April’s online trivia contest
Georgia Grown spotlight

Georgia Magazine - April 2014