Garden Like a Mom: Mexican Petunias
I started flower gardening long before I became a mom, but since motherhood, gardening has become a hobby that provides reprieve from the noise, a place to cry, a place to laugh, and place to bond with little hearts. It gives me a reason to get up early and sometimes a reason to stay up late. It brings beauty to my yard for my family and everyone who passes by. In this series, I will share ideas, success, and failure as I tend to, learn from, and grow flowers and children.
Today’s flower focus is the Mexican Petunia.
This petunia is one of my favorite flowering plants. It stands tall, it is not afraid to go beyond its boundaries, and nothing can hold it back. Mexican petunias are the easiest flowering plants to grow in a garden. They don't mind wet, dry, or sandy soil. They are drought tolerant and self-propagate easily. The lavish purple blooms only last one day. They open in the mornings and drop off in the evenings, but don't worry there are plenty of new flowers each day. I started 7 years ago with 3 small plants planted in front of a fence that hides my HVAC unit. Today, I have two beds full of these gorgeous, 4ft tall plants. The first year, I worried myself sick when they completely died back after the first frost. All was for naught because these beauties are fighters. Each year they come back in the multitudes. They are my most complimented flowering plant by humans, bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Be careful though because they will take over entire flower beds.
Pro tip: flowering plants need plenty of sun. It takes a lot of energy to bloom.
Children require a lot of energy as well. I will be the first to admit that as on older parent, my energy levels are sometimes waning. A great way to spend time with your kids is to let them help you with whatever tasks you are doing. I let them pick flowers out at Lowes and plant them in their own pots and place them in their rooms. I teach them to water and feed their plants. Yep, it is a mess, and yep, it sends my anxiety through the roof, but they require energy to bloom just like the flowers we take care of together. So garden like a mom, purchase some Mexican petunias, let little hands dig in the dirt, allow big and small hearts to grow, breath in the beauty of it all, and reward yourself with a renewed sense of energy.