GARDENING

There is a new Superbells calibrachoa making its debut in 2023 that is so beautifully unusual, I’ve wondered if Proven Winners even knows what it has: Superbells Prism Pink Lemonade calibrachoa. Had calibrachoas been around in 1800 as Empress Josephine was constructing the gardens at Le Chateau de Malmaison, I am sure Pink Lemonade would have been her first choice.

While the name may not sound like the Empress, each blossom looks as though it was already painted by her famed artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté. His rose paintings are some of the best there have ever been, and each heirloom rose depiction conveys the same feeling you have when you first look at Pink Lemonade calibrachoa.

In the plant’s description, PW states, “This dynamic plant shifts its coloration through the seasons as it reacts to varying light levels and daylength.” In my trials, the shifting of coloration began almost immediately — nothing short of breathtaking. As PW describes it, “The large blossoms open lemon yellow and transition to a vibrant pink with both colors continuously present on the plant.”

The color will work with everything except a flaming orange, in my opinion. And when I placed Pink Lemonade in between Superbells Grape Punch and Superbells Black Currant Punch, it was like angels sang.

The next oohs and ahhs came when I surrounded Pink Lemonade with the soft needle-like foliage of Lemon Coral sedum. It was really pretty simple, and everyone can do it. The oohs came when the sedum started blooming with its uncountable, tiny yellow flowers.

In another planter, I combined the heirloom look of Pink Lemonade calibrachoa with Superbena Royale Plum Wine verbena. Then, I sprinkled in some blue with Superbena Royale Chambray verbena, giving the planter a floral bouquet-like look. The one special trait you will love — as I mentioned with the PW official description — is Pink Lemonade’s ability to give you different looks during the day as the sun moves from east to west and perhaps even as a tree shifting shade.

As we head toward August, I am feeling a tinge of panic because I love to plant all three supers — Superbells, Supertunias and Superbenas — in the fall around October. The panic is whether I will be able to get them, as the garden centers really want me to plant pansies.

Superbells calibrachoa are so much tougher than you ever dreamed. The real prerequisite is to grow them in containers. It is a rare gardener I find who can duplicate that perfect drainage in a landscape bed. Make feeding with a water-soluble fertilizer part of your regimen. I do it every other week.

Once the plant seems tired, open and worn out, don’t be afraid to cut back by a third or to healthy green leaves. This is usually in August in my area but with early triple digit temperatures this year, it moved to July.

The Garden Guy will never be without Superbells calibrachoas, and I am craving more of that look with the white AquaPots filled with Grape Punch, Prism Pink Lemonade and Black Currant Punch calibrachoas together. Oh yes, and I really would like to plant in October.

Follow me on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy for more photos and garden inspiration.