Low Maintenance Calibrachoas (Million Bells & Superbells)

Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on WHAV.

Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on WHAV.

Brighten your landscape with the season-long blooms of calibrachoas also known as Million Bells and Superbells. These cousins of the petunia pack lots of beauty with very little maintenance.

The compact mounded plants are covered with one-inch trumpet shaped bronze, orange, yellow, red to pink and magenta to blue flowers all season long.  And best of all, no deadheading needed.

Grow them in hanging baskets or use as spillers and fillers in container gardens. They also work well in the garden when grown in well-drained soil. Use them as an edger, annual groundcover for small areas or colorful additions to rock gardens.

And don’t worry about the heat. This South American native thrives in hot dry weather once established. Water plants thoroughly once the top few inches of soil start to dry. Overwatering, especially in poorly drained soil can lead to root rot.

A bit more information: Use a slow release fertilizer at planting.  This is often enough to feed garden plants throughout the season. Give container and in-ground plants a mid-season boost if leaves start to yellow or plants appear less vigorous.

For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com.