I saw it and in an instant I knew her blossoms would replace my first love. I am referring to the plant I spotted recently gracefully spilling forth from window boxes. 20151029_103324It happened naturally one late afternoon driving the streets of Montreal in supper time traffic. My husband was at the wheel so I could glance at the storefronts and take in the energy of a charming Quebecois summer’s eve. We had just picked up our daughter from the airport and were chatting away when the captivating color caught my eye.

Perhaps it was the simplicity of the same floral color grouped together that drew me in. I knew in an instant that my favorite flower of choice had met its match. I had been smitten by geraniums years ago when I first saw her deep rich red flowers ensconced in mossed covered terra cotta pots. But the complementary hues of violet bunched up in pots evoke a floral display that I am enamored with.

Montreal June 2015 Petunia BordeauxIt was only later that I learned her secret enticement of low maintenance. I would never tire of resting my eyes on a potted geranium but deadheading her blossoms were most tiresome. It was the price of beauty I had contended. The sweetness of this new found plant is her constant blooming without the need to pull her spent blooms. No repetitiveness of deadheading is a deal breaker.

I grabbed my phone and snapped a quick shot. I thought I could quickly identify this wonderful flower from visuals on the Internet. After countless images and no near match I realized the photo of the blue awning with these exquisite flowers also included a phone number. How serendipitous! The wonderful gentlemen on the phone spoke her name, Petunia Bordeaux. She is actually a supertunia. The distinction being the supertunias have long vines that look magnificent hanging from baskets. An instant later I ordered a half dozen.

Supertunia Bordeaux – Her Best Features

20151029_103308 (2015-10-29T14_40_30.357)My Petunia Bordeaux’s unique 2 tone color is an engaging feature. Another plus for me is that she would look great next to my beloved lavender. But her traits as heat and drought tolerant are plus for Florida weather. She is both a filler and a spiller; flower language for her being able to be placed in a bed, basket or box. Her continuous blooms are her greatest asset. Self-cleaning, a term associated with no deadheading, is her pièce de résistance. A cluster of geraniums still warms my heart but a blanket of Petunia Bordeaux, by my entrance, has stolen my heart.