Petunia F1 Wave Blue

The Trailing Petunia 'F1 Wave Blue', also known as Petunia x hybrida hedgiflora, is an annual plant universally loved by petunia lovers. Praised by enthusiasts and landscapers, this trailing petunia produces stems over 60 cm (24in) tall and covered in splendid deep blue flowers. The plants resist bad weather and botrytis and bloom continuously until the first frost. Award-winning multiple times, this variety consistently unfurls waves of blue over summer flower beds, overflowing from pots and hanging baskets. Sow under glass at the end of winter in fertile, light soil.

Our hybrid petunias are all derived from several plants originating from the warm regions of South America. Trailing petunias came about by chance when a scientist noticed in 1989, at the edge of a field, a particularly vigorous wild petunia covered in bright flowers: the Petunia inflata. Crossed with other species and hybrids, this species gave rise to trailing petunias, which were given the marketing name Surfinias. The Trailing Petunia 'F1 Wave Blue' belongs to the Solanaceae family and is closely related to ornamental tobacco as its foliage contains alkaloids. This plant rapidly forms a round clump, almost a bush, at least 60 cm (24in) tall and 40 cm (16in) in diameter, with a very trailing habit. It produces cascades of flowers from June until the first frost, provided that faded flowers are regularly removed and it is regularly provided with fertiliser. Its cup-shaped flowers are large, measuring 6 cm (2in) in diameter, in an intense dark blue with a dark centre. The foliage, quite pubescent and particularly resistant to diseases and bad weather, has entire edges and a dark green colour.

No other flowering annual plant has undergone such in-depth selection work by breeders for over a century. The results are impressive, as petunias rival geraniums in terms of splendour and length of flowering, as demonstrated by this Wave Blue variety. Plant it in large pots or hanging baskets above walls, wherever its flower-covered stems can cascade down. You can also plant them in borders, in large swathes, to punctuate the borders of plants with grey foliage such as geraniums or artemisias, or to cover the base of roses.

Attention: seeds are reserved for very experienced gardeners who are used to sowing very fine seeds. These seeds are as fine as dust, barely visible to the naked eye.