Wave® Petunias recently asked me to host a gardening event with them to celebrate the arrival of Summer. On May 28, media, gardening lovers and social influencers gathered at Calloway Gardens on Greenville Ave. for a fun evening of sips & bites and a few lessons on how to improve our gardening skills from Wave's Claire Watson. Wave is celebrating its twentieth anniversary of providing gardeners with the very best in easy spreading and bright, bold colors for their gardens with the addition of several new varieties. This year, Wave is introducing Tidal Wave® Red Velour to garden centers nationwide. Tidal Wave Red Velour is the latest All America Selections Winner; ideally suited to larger spaces, the flowers add dramatic color and texture to any landscape. As a category innovator, Wave aspires to help people create gardens that will ‘wow’ the neighborhood. “We’re thankful to be going on 20 years of helping people add color and flair to their gardens,” said Claire Watson, product marketing manager for Wave. “From our award-winning varieties, to our array of options, to our decorating tips and tools, we want to inspire people to get creative and colorful with their gardens.” Wave helps make it easier for homeowners to be bold and fearless when dressing their gardens for the season. Wave’s vibrant flowers easily spread to create a vivid blanket of stand-out color. The five series of Wave petunias offer dramatic color, exceptionally long bloom time, and fantastic mounding and trailing habits for garden beds and containers. Wow your neighbors with remarkable colors that will spice up any yard.
GARDENING WITH WAVE®: TIPS & TRENDS FROM CLAIRE WATSON
- When container gardening, I like to pick my planter before anything else. I love something bright or bold that adds a pop of color (P.O.C.) to an outdoor space. It’s also fun to play with texture! Select your container like you would your pillows, throws and curtains. You will be living with it for a while, and it’s a fun reflection of your style. Bonus tip: Make sure your container has a drainage hole in the bottom, so the plants don’t get waterlogged.
- To begin planting, fill with a good quality potting mix up to about one inch from the top of the container. I handle it like making pastry. Lift and aerate through your fingers breaking up any lumpy bits. To make a large container (14 inches or more) more lightweight and to use less potting mix, take up a few inches of space in the bottom by throwing in a couple of small empty plastic water bottles or recycle some non-biodegradable Styrofoam packing. You can also add an inch of pebbles in the bottom to improve drainage, but it’s not essential.
- Now the fun part… Designing with plants! Pick your favorite shade of Wave petunias and either complement or contrast with an additional P.O.C. and a couple of textural items. It’s fun to add a height element too. I like to limit my color palette to shades of two or three colors to keep it simple and elegant, so it looks, well… designer! I like to think that I am creating the Prada version of a combo.
- No need to break up the roots on those small plants going in the combo. They will grow just fine with regular water (and plant food if you remember!).
- Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged – stick your finger in two inches and see if its dry beneath the surface. Plants absorb water through their roots, so water as close to the soil as you can.
- Finally, no chip manicures are a MUST for any gardener – novice or expert. I know from personal experience!
This post was brought to you by Wave® Petunias. While I did receive compensation for authoring this post; product selections, descriptions, and opinions are 100% my own. Interested in a sponsored post or product review for your brand or event? Contact me for rates and details.
