New petunias like this Easy Wave Coral Reef offer a deeply saturated coral color that really stands in garden landscapes.

It's funny how colors become trendy. Sometimes I have wondered whether there is some committee sitting in a posh New York skyscraper deciding on what color will be hot. It probably starts off with fashion, then interior colors, and finally makes its way to garden flowers. Well one of the colors that look too sought after in many gardens is coral.

Coral has never been high in my book particularly with flowers because they always seemed to look faded or have a slightly bleached out look. Not so with some of today's great new petunias.

I know you are thinking, "Norman it's not even February and you are talking petunias." I admit I write this as an ice storm is bearing down on much of the county and I certainly hope it misses me. But one of the tough things about writing a nationwide garden column is timing. Look at it this way, it's always petunia-time somewhere in the United States. Or, on the positive side, petunia time is coming for your locale and these are some of the ones you might want to look for.

The first petunia that has caught my eye is the Easy Wave Coral Reef. This one is a deeply saturated coral color that really stands out and will be incredible mass-planted. Remember Easy Waves do spread but are more mounding than Purple Wave.

If you don't want it mass-planted you'll probably fall in love with a mix called Easy Wave Beachcomber mix. This is one of the prettiest mixes I have ever seen incorporating the Easy Wave Coral, Shell Pink and Blue.

Another new one is the Suncatcher Coral Prism petunia. This one is rich in color but also has a white throat. The Suncatcher series has been one of my favorites since being introduced, but I can tell you it's been tough for them to find their place on the shelves because of the Waves. The Suncatchers are vegetatively propagated and packed with vigor. They've done well for us in trials and are awesome in baskets and mix planters.

If coral is not your color, there are plenty of colors and petunia varieties that will be finding their way to garden centers near you when spring arrives in your area. The most photographed petunia at last year's California Pack trials was called Veva Lavender Shades.

No matter which petunia you choose, the key to your happiness with these and all other flowers this season will be providing them a good home. This comes from incorporating organic matter for good drainage and aeration. It also makes for easy root growth and plant establishment. Apply mulch after planting to conserve moisture, deter weeds and moderate temperatures.

I can't promise that any certain variety will be at your local garden center this spring but I know our growers are doing a great job in staying on top of the new plant curve. I can't wait.

Horticulturist Norman Winter is a garden columnist for the McClatchy-Tribune News Service.