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First truly black petunia on the market

I never could understand why you would want a truly black flower.

I mean, nature is filled with an amazing spectrum of colours that are rich and vibrant; but not black.

Flower petals do not make black pigments. But they do produce red, purple and blue, so by breeding them together it’s possible to create very dark purple petals.

Plant breeders are up for the challenge and now after four years of breeding and a year of trials the Ball Colegrave firm is announcing it has developed the first truly black petunia. They have named it Black Velvet and claim it is the blackest bloom yet produced.

Along with Black Velvet they have released two other new varieties; Pinstripe and Phantom.

Pinstripe has a deep purple, almost black background with a creamy white stripe. Phantom has a background splashed with a yellow star.

So to me the challenge is what do you plant this with? First of all you should consider where you would plant these dramatic dark plants.

The black colour recedes and makes them hard to appreciate from a distance so plant them where they will be admired close-up. The location should be sunny so they can flower to their best potential.

Don’t forget to fertilize them with a water soluble fertilizer every 10 – 14 days. And pinch them back if they get too straggly. This will keep them compact and producing flowers longer throughout the season.

Anne demonstrates this in her hanging basket class and usually half the class gasps. It may seem harsh but petunias need tough love.

I’m looking forward to matching these unique blooms with other plants. I think pairing it with red flowers and other dark foliage plants such as Purple Fountain Grass and Blackie Potato Vine will look attractive. Or pink flowers maybe?

I will add a splash of blue to bring out all the other colours. If you see me wandering around the garden centre looking like I’m on a mission with my arm full of this and that, have faith, I’m really enjoying myself.

Thank-you to the plant breeders – the challenge is on.

Jean Atkinson is a horticulturist with Richbar Golf and Garden and a regular Observer columnist.