Petunia 'Patriot Mix' (Petunia)

Patriot Mix petunias bring a cheerful blend of bold, saturated colors to containers, window boxes, and garden beds from late spring through the first frost. The mix typically includes reds, pinks, purples, whites, and bi-colors, creating that classic cottage-garden abundance of bloom that makes a front porch or deck feel welcoming from the street. Flowers are large, slightly ruffled, and held upright on compact, mounding plants that stay tidy without a lot of intervention.

One of the things that makes Patriot-type petunias reliable is their weather tolerance. They bounce back after rain without the petal bruising that plagued older varieties, and they push out new blooms continuously rather than going through a tired mid-summer slump. Deadheading spent flowers will keep the show going strongest, though even without it these plants stay reasonably floriferous. A light mid-season shearing, down by about a third, refreshes the foliage and triggers a fresh flush of bloom.

Plant in full sun for the best flower production. In containers, petunias are heavy feeders and will reward regular fertilizing with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every one to two weeks.