Our favorite flowers for junk containers

Petunias are a Flea Market Gardening standby for  rusty or galvanized containers.  Have you grown them?  I haven’t much and asked for tips from the experts, when planting my old rusty wheelbarrow.  Here’s their scoop on growing these common annuals.  You’ll find that they may be ‘perennial.’

My Inspiration:

Shari Telek’s glowing petunias and my inspiration!

My attempt!

Deep blue and magenta petunias in my trusty rusty wheelbarrow

Petunias: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Petunias

Diane Renz Davis

I plant in my wooden planter box by putting plants in milk jugs, cut down so that no one can see them and the plants grow around them. they are great cause the water doesn’t go thru and rod out the item below, plus they need less water that way. You might want to try that with a wheel barrow too.

Jackie Doeden

Petunias bloom from early spring until the snow and cold weather freeze them out!!! They take very little fussing over, stick them in the dirt and stand back and watch them grow..a bonus is that they smell so good. This is a basic workhorse in the flower garden. I personally like the regular ones better than the wave as they smell better but even the wave have great flowers. You may have your mind changed by growing petunias, this is one of the old fashioned flowers that are a must grow in my garden!!!

Photo by Jeanne Sammons

Lori Brunk McMillon

I love petunias, they remind me of my grandparents who always planted an “English Cottage” style garden. Even as my grandfather aged and could no longer do too much in the yard he built an A-frame stand and grew petunias in pots. Some of them really put on a wonderful fragrance in the evening (I used to have a friend go garden shopping with me and we were always sticking our noses in them to see which had the strongest smell and people would ask us about them as many didn’t even realize they have a wonderful smell) and attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and moths. They really don’t require much care (one of the reasons they’re an old fashioned favorite), just watering and an occasional feeding. Removing of spent stems will encourage more new growth and blooms.

Laurie Linn

Fertilize your petunias every time you water with a very weak solution. Don’t need to deadhead but do pinch ends to encourage new growth once in a while or cut 4 inches off the ends every two months. They will grow like crazy!

Finally, success!

Sue Langley, “I can’t believe how well these did from last year’s petunia plants!”

Heather Rotz

Ignore them. Petunias are grown by everyone because even if you have a black thumb, they grow well. Deadheading is key though if you want them to get huge and full of a carpet of flowers. Water only when really needed.

Marie Niemann

I love the wave petunia’s especially since they reseed and come back! They are really easy to grow, they need water, sunshine and a little fertilizer and they will happily grow and spill over the sides of a wonderful old rusty wheelbarrow! Can’t wait to see it!

Marie Niemann says, “These are the Wave Petunias that come back every year from self seeding.’

Dot Brennan Baker

I had an old wheelbarrow, had it planted with ferns, and placed under a maple tree. Loved it, my daughter has it now. No more maple tree. Your plant combo looks great. I would add a lime green Heuchera to the mix, but then, I would add lime green to just about any mix. I love Wave Petunias, the only kind I plant, and they do a great job reseeding.

Lissa Jane Bitton

I think you do need to deadhead them – make sure and pinch off the whole bud not just pull the dead flower! I cut mine back before I plant them so they bush out and don’t get leggy as fast – so initially they have no blooms! Mine got a caterpillar the past couple years and wouldn’t rebloom so will probably spray the from the get go even though I prefer growing things organically!

What are your tips for growing petunias?  Add your tip in a comment.

More:

Jeanie’s garden dresser drawers

Get the Dirt on Growing in Flea Market containers