They do look like they have already bloomed. It also doesn't look like you have a brown thumb! Up to you if you want to cut them back. I do cut back my marigolds, cosmos, daisies and zinnias but things like petunias I don't bother. I don't know why. Maybe because I don't like bending down so low to the ground?

If they were buds, they would be smaller. If they appear wilted, then they are spent flowers.

I would prune it.

Thank you, Kaths.

I definitely have a brown thumb as I didn’t grow these but bought them.

I put them in a large Chinese egg pot so no bending will be necessary.

If I cut them back now, will they bloom again this summer?

Lars, they aren’t really wilted and none are falling off on their own. However, they do appear not to be buds. I just don’t want to be too hasty pruning the thing but I would like to do it if it means it will have blossoms again before the end of summer.

I think most flowers rebloom if you cut them off before the seed form fully, because they're trying to produce those seeds to reproduce.

Thanks, kathsgardens!

I’m getting out my pruning shears right now.

Yep, it is Cuphea and I just pruned it.

I see now that I probably shouldn’t have pruned it after reading your link gardengal. It still looks pretty, though.

Oh well, next year I will know better.

Thanks, Kaths, Lars and gardengal.🙂

Oh, no! I’ve been desperately trying to tell you that there are two different plants there: Cuphaea and Callibrachoa. Look at the leaves. There are two different kinds, as well as two different flowers. But I couldn’t sign in for some reason. Try the gardening forums first next time!

You will get much better and more accurate responses if you ask gardening questions in the gardening forums :-) Particularly when it comes to plant identification.

What are the little purple flowers with the contrasting cris-crosses? Petunias? What variety?

Chisue, I have no idea what any of it is. After reading gardengals link I determined it was Cuphea from the photos and description.

There were no tags with it and I bought it from the local greenhouse. I suppose I should have asked the fellow who runs the nursery. It was on the clearance table after the Mother’s Day weekend.

" little purple flowers with the contrasting cris-crosses? "

Calibrachoa, sometimes called million bells. Maybe 'Purple Bling' or 'Evening Star' or 'Cabaret Midnight Kiss'.

Like petunias, to which they are closely related (but smaller), there are a zillion different varieties and many of them look very similar.

I'm not familiar with this plant and would defer to Garden Gal and Floral's expertise, but some plants, like petunias, you can just pinch off the spent blossoms to prevent them from going to seed, so the plant's energy concentrates on new blossoms instead of making seeds.

Just did some more reading on Cuphea.

“Pruning and deadheading:

Cupheas are self-cleaning, so no deadheading is needed to ensure continuous flower production. If you want to make your plants bushier and more compact, you can prune or pinch them back in late spring to encourage more branching and, in turn, more flowers.”

I don’t think my pruning it was totally bad. It was kind of long and leggy.

Thanks for identifying the plant for me.

OK, let’s just say this again, since some responses indicate that the message hasn’t got through yet. The pot contains two different plants. The tubular ones are the Cuphaea. They are naturally taller and less bushy than the brightly coloured ones with the crosses which are are the Calibrachoa.

floral, yes, I understand the pot contains two different plants.

Even to me it is obvious. 🙂 It was obvious when I bought it.

I was concerned about the one that grew tall and leggy and did not have the brightly coloured blossoms. gardengal identified it for me and then identified the other for Chisue.

You identified both as well in your first response.

floral, I thanked you for your first response and I did read it. Thank you again. 🙂

No problem, Roxsol, I was talking to other posters who didn’t seem to have read all the answers.

Thanks, gardengal. I'll read up on the Calibrachoa, aka Million Bells. I bought a couple of pots of mixed flowers that include the deep purple ones.

It's amazing how just a single blossom -- any blossom -- is so in-depth gorgeous. Humans will never be able to make any decoration that remotely aproaches such perfection. (Says the woman who falls into a rapture over the raspberries in the supermarket display!)

Looked it up. I have "Cabaret Good Night Kiss".

Isn't Cuphea supposed to be tall ? It's shame that you lost all those blooms. I hope it grows out and reblooms for you.

Well, this is what it looks like 2 months later. It has bloomed and looked great this summer. LOL, I’m losing my touch. I’ve usually killed most plants by now. Both seem to be doing okay.

Thanks again to all!

just forget to water it in this heat ... your 'touch' should return promptly ...

LOL bragu! The gods are working against me. This week we have had daytime highs of 15 C. and rain, rain, rain.