Growing petunias in Phoenix, Arizona

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It's mid-April and the petunias are at their best right now. And if you want to grow them in the Phoenix, Arizona area, this is how: 1) plant them and 2) stand back.

Yes, petunias do great here. And the only trick to them is that you don't plant them in the spring, you plant them in the winter. That's because the summer heat kills them.

So, if you're thinking of planting petunias right now, in April, you really should wait until next season. I started planting petunias a little too early last season, when the weather was still too hot, and I lost a lot of them. So next season I will wait until November. Yes, planting flowers in November or December does sound kind'a crazy, especially if you're from Minnesota, like I am, but this is the desert - it gets hot. Not just a little hot, but crazy hot.

So, enjoy the petunias through April. By May they will be fading away and by June they will be completely gone. I like to go out in the morning and deadhead the flowers, although that's not absolutely necessary. The flowers grow on the end of stems, so the plant can get "leggy", so you will need to trim it a bit - but not too much, or you'll be without flowers for several days!

I like planting white petunias as they seem to "glow" in the evening, and it just seems a little bit more sophisticated. But hey, they're petunias, they're supposed to be a little goofy!

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