Hybrid Petunia

Yet another patented hybrid in the garden? Afraid so. Maybe I will learn from my English and Aussie friends (among others) and start propagating more of the old world heirlooms. The variety seen here is Supertunia® ‘Vista Bubblegum’ planted among mint & angelonia. Even the name is steeped in Pop culture. Am I going to hell for planting these corporate progenies? If I am, at least it’s a colorful road.

Some nice folks at MyFolia.com recently contributed to a very informative post on patent law. This well researched thread really got me thinking about plant patents and my responsible stewardship as a gardener. I am too easily seduced by these sexy patented hybrids flooding the American market. I need to step back for a moment, and review the alternatives to this, albeit lazy approach to gardening. While there will always be some patented plants in my garden, I would like to reduce my over reliance upon them.