Calibrachoa "Million Bells"

Day 234: Uncertain as to what I wanted to put in my two hanging baskets this year, I pointed the car at Gordon's Garden Center in Yelm with nothing firmly in mind. Petunias have worked well for me in the past (surprisingly, to my way of thinking), and Lobelia is always a good filler, but is rather dull without something else as a centerpiece. Budget is always a consideration when I go plant shopping. I would rather buy fewer healthy plants than try to nurse a whole cartload of "bargain table" starts back to vibrancy.

Because I live in a colder zone, the selection of plants available to me when I'm ready to pot them is usually limited. The petunias at Gordon's had been pretty well picked over, and although the dark purple ones appealed to me, I didn't want to go with a single color. As I was mulling over other possibilities, a saleswoman suggested "Million Bells." I remembered that my good friend Patty had grown them last year with great success, so after inquiring about their care and feeding, I settled on two colors, one of each for each basket.

Calibrachoa will remind you of petunias, to which they are closely related but are nevertheless a separate species. They have a sprawling growth habit which makes them perfect for hanging baskets, and need no dead-heading like their cousins. They like well-drained soil and tolerate some dryness, and like Petunias, they can be grown in sunny to partly shady locations.