Sometimes a plant sort of … grows on you. One of the items Proven Winners shipped to me for trialing this spring was a calibrachoa called ‘Blackberry Punch.’ When I first unpacked it, it seemed weird and dark and not exactly festive–sort of a flower that vampires would adore. But now that it’s been happily situated in a couple of containers, I have to admit, I’m starting to feel this baby. The flowers are incredibly velvety and rich-looking, and when they unfold all the way, they have bright yellow hearts that perk the whole flower up and keep it from being gloomy.
I’ve had good luck in the past with calibrachoa. They’re petunia relatives, and the flowers look just like little petunias. Little petunias are fine by me; I sometimes find the big new hybrids a bit steroidal. They’re supposed to attract hummingbirds, which I always find thrilling once I realize that’s not a giant bug zipping around my yard. 🙂 And the flowers don’t seem to be as tender as those of true petunias, which so easily get shredded by rain. We’ll see how these blackberry beauties fare come the dog days of August, but for now, I think this blackberry is très parfait!
Oh, and update on the floral openings: the first three calendula unfurled today, as well as the first few of many, many, many (probably too many; I should thin then again) larkspur—a lovely rich purple version. Hooray!
Photo courtesy of Proven Winners® http://www.provenwinners.com.
Lavender & Larkspur 
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