European breeding breakthroughs have created the "First Class" series of Calibrachoa -- the newest rage in spreading and hanging plants.

Don't let the small flowers fool you - these plants will be covered with color all summer long . The smaller flowers hold their intense colors better through the heat and bright summer sunshine, while new flowers constantly cover up the old ones, which fall off on their own. No seed is made, so plants just keep blooming and blooming and blooming!

And take a look at the intense, bright colors! These flowers open - and stay open - even under low-light or twilight conditions.

Just as easy and colorful to grow as Super-Petunias, Calibrachoa have the added advantage of a neat, well behaved, practically formal look .  Completely self-branching, all you have to do is water and fertilize to achieve great results. There's no pruning or pinching needed.

"Mini-Famous" Calibrachoa mix in well with other sun-loving varieties such as Lobelia, Bacopa, Cuphea, Diascia, Vinca or Ivys for creating European Window Garden bowls or hanging baskets.

But don't stop by planting Calibrachoa just in baskets and planters. No, because its tidy speading habit - combined with superior vigor and heat tolerance - makes Calibrochoa a fine border plant for covering large areas with color that will last the whole summer.

Traditional edge plantings of Allyssum or Lobelia may tend to go to seed or fade out just as your garden should be at its peak. When the Northwest finally gets warm enough to spend your evenings outside is when you want to have your garden looking its best - so go with Calibrachoa. Add a vibrant stripe of color to the front of every flower bed. Plant Calibrachoa in front of Marigolds, Zinnias, Cosmos or even Super-Petunias to create a great foundation for your whole flower bed.

Look for First Class Calibrachoa Mini Famous, arriving early May at your Fred Meyer Garden Center. You're going to be happy you did all summer long.

While much of the information in this tip is applicable in several gardening zones/climates, some of the plants and timing suggested are best suited to the Northwest, generally in the mild/wet growing regions found along the I-5 corridor. You should make appropriate adjustments or consult local gardening experts in regions whose climates differ from this area of the Northwest.