But when winter hit that year, the vines died, and I became frustrated with climbing a ladder in order to remove the brown, crispy vines from the wires. I asked Mr. Holleygarden to remove the wires, which he dutifully did, and I didn't plant moonflower vines the next year.
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| Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) |
I missed them.
But, even though I have promised Mr. Holleygarden that I'm almost positive that I probably won't want him to remove the wires again, he has not been keen on putting the wires back up. Even a man as patient as he has his limits!
Of course, I could put up the wires myself, and actually I have all the supplies. It it on my To-Do list. Actually, it has been on my To-Do list for the past several years. But I'm really not sure I'll want them there permanently, and I don't want to have to take the wires down once I've put them up! (I and Mr. Holleygarden think alike on that.)
Anyway, this year I have been growing moonflower vines on the obelisks in the East bed.
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| Earlier this summer, when the vines first began to grow. |
Here's why I like them:
They are so pretty! Heart shaped leaves, and a star in each bloom. And the flowers are HUGE! (In reality, about 5 to 6 inches across.)
Moonflowers open at night, and they really do shine in the moon light. They would be a perfect choice for a moon garden. (I can see them from my bedroom - the perfect spot for a night-opening flower.)
Before they open, they look like swirls of ice cream. Here, they reseed a little, but nothing like the morning glories, which are quite invasive. (Your area may be different.) And the seeds are very easy to save. (I soak my seeds in water for 24 hours before planting, and they usually all come up.)
Unfortunately, they are not perfect. They grow very, very, very long. Very long. Got that? Very long. (In reality, about 20 ft.) Mine have become a bit wild!
They are not only taking over the obelisks, but the entire bed!
I'll be spending the day cutting back the moonflower vines so my roses can breathe.
I don't think I'll plant moonflower vines on these obelisks next year!
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| There really is an obelisk under all those vines! |
I'm joining Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday - Flaunt Your Flowers.
Holley, your first flower had me hooked then as I read on, bindweed (Convovulus) immediately came to mind.
ReplyDeleteWhilst it's a beauty, it does seem that strategic planting is necessary and the fact that it has a mind of it's own would make it unsuitable for my small garden.
I hope it didn't take you too long to give your roses a bit of breathing space!
Thankfully, moonflower doesn't have the extensive root system that bindweed does! But you are right in that it needs a fence or something long (or very tall!) to climb. Perhaps I'll find the right spot for it one day. I do love these flowers, but I don't think I've found just the right spot yet!
DeleteHey Holley, I hope you will find a special place for the moonflower. Not only the flower is beautiful but also the foliage. I love what I see on your last photo very impressive.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend.
I have always loved this flower, perhaps I will find just the right spot for it eventually! I really didn't realize they would overtake the obelisks when I planted them there!
DeleteWhat a stunning big flower, this moonflower. I definitely will buy seeds next year and find a spot somewhere in the garden to grow. On the other side, I am a bit worried because it behaves a bit like bindweed and that is a nuisance in my garden, I'm always pulling out the long shoots and I don't get rid of it.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend!
Try it one year. It looks like bindweed, but it really is not hard to pull up, and mine did reseed somewhat, but not abundantly here, and they always pop up near where I had it planted before. So, all in all, a well behaved vine - if you have the room for it. :)
DeleteGulp, not for my garden then I take it! But the flowers are very pretty and I just love white flowers. I have the same problem with my two clematises, they are completely overgrowing their obelisks and taking over all area around them, climbing into the camellia and taking over it too. Fortunately, the camellia is more robust than a rosebush so I don't think it minds. It is a pain to get the whole thing 'combed' out again though, come February, but the flowers are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteI've tried growing clematis in my roses, but I always forget about them, and they don't take off. I've often wondered how much trouble they would be growing alongside/in another plant. I have never thought of putting a clematis in a camellia! What a smart idea!
DeleteI have to admit it wasn’t my idea to let the two clematises take over the camellia, they do it all themselves – every year they just jump over to the camellia and started using it as a trellis. They jump from the top of the two obelisks though, so already in the sun, tall and well established before making bridges over to the camellia. Might be more difficult if grown from the ground on a rosebush, at least with one cut completely down every spring as mine is. The trouble is to pull the dead branches out every winter, but worth the trouble, not too bad from a camellia.
DeleteI have wanted to grow moon flower in my white garden but each time I start a plant the bunnies find it and eat it right back. Yours are pretty and I enjoyed seeing the flowers and growth habit.
ReplyDeleteI've missed the book review for a couple of months but plant to get back because I do have books I've finished and want to share.
Judith
I didn't realize the bunnies would eat these. How terrible! Maybe one year you'll be able to fool the bunnies and be able to enjoy these in your white garden. I think they would be perfect there. I look forward to hearing about your books, too. As autumn comes, I'm hoping I will be able to have more time for reading. I'm making my list of garden books to purchase!
DeleteThis is the first year I didn't plant moonflower in a long time, although I love those huge flowers and the lovely fragrance. I would plant seeds in May and would have lots of nice foliage but no flowers until Sept when the weather finally cooled down. When we have had milder summers they would bloom earlier but the past few years it has been so hot, I just gave up. I planted mine on the gazebo where it had plenty of room to spread. It was nice to see your photos and I can almost smell the fragrance!
ReplyDeleteOh, up a gazebo is perfect! Too bad my gazebo blew down. I would want to sit outside in the gazebo every night to see these beautiful flowers opening up and blooming - and all the night pollinators that are attracted to it!
DeleteThey are very pretty flowers and I do love the whites in the garden as they really stand out in the dark.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
I don't have a lot of truly white flowers in my garden, so it is amazing to me how much these really do shine in the moonlight. I can understand why moon gardens are so very popular. When I go outside in the dark and look at the moonflowers, it's a very romantic and enchanting feeling.
DeleteI bought an archway (a cheap one - so it needs to be covered fully) to fix over the central steps in my garden. I've been trying to get various plants to climb up it unsuccessfully - this one sounds ideal. I'd have to find another plant to replace it in winter though.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds perfect. But you are right about winter. They die off completely with the first freeze, and start late in the spring. Maybe you could find an evergreen vine to pair with them.
DeleteI was very close to planting these ... and then I read they are NOT drought-tolerant.
ReplyDeleteDo you have to give yours a lot of supplemental water in the Texas summertime heat to keep them happy?
You are right - they are not drought tolerant. Mine are planted in the bed with my roses, so yes, they do get supplemental water. In fact, I have two of these obelisks covered in moonflowers. One was not getting much water, and the vine became very droopy. So, they would need to have supplemental waterings if you don't get regular rainfall in the summer.
DeleteSorry I missed the book review this month Holley. Sometimes the 20th sneaks up and finds me unprepared! Next month I should have a book ready.
ReplyDeleteI have never grown Moonflowers. I love your comparison of the flower bud to swirls of ice cream. They do look good enough to eat! I haven't grown Morning Glories for the same reason- I lack a proper spot to grow them. Vines can certainly take over, but Moonflowers are quite beautiful and it would be worth the trouble to find a spot for them.
That is the only problem with this vine - finding the right spot for them to be able to spread out enough. I just may have to go back to putting them up my columns and across the porch!
DeleteMoonflowers are such lovely things aren't they? I grew some along a fence before we put more borders there. Your description of swirled ice cream is quite delicious. I should grow some against next year. If you ever come to visit my part of Oklahoma, I'll give you a start of 'Bright Eyes' phlox. The hummingbird moths love those too.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteA fence would be the perfect place for these. I have several fences, but they are already covered! I am intrigued by the hummingbird moths. Even my husband points them out when he sees them. Thanks for the offer of the phlox. I hadn't been to Oklahoma since I was a young girl, but we traveled through it to go to Missouri this summer, and it was such a beautiful state. It was much more mountainous and green than I thought it would be.
DeleteMoonflowers are such lovely things aren't they? I grew some along a fence before we put more borders there. Your description of swirled ice cream is quite delicious. I should grow some against next year. If you ever come to visit my part of Oklahoma, I'll give you a start of 'Bright Eyes' phlox. The hummingbird moths love those too.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteThe moonflower is beautiful, and those hummingbird moths are so much fun to watch. In my garden they gravitate toward the white verbena. Also phlox, as Dee mentioned. Maybe they are partial to white flowers.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I will have to look for some white flowers to add to my garden for them!
DeleteIt is a pretty vine and flower despite it's aggressiveness.
ReplyDeleteThey are a bit unusual in their habit of blooming at night, and the flowers are so large! Something a little different.
DeleteWhat about growing Datura instead? Although it doesn't vine, you still get the beautiful white flowers at night that draw the hummingbird moth. I have several in my garden that come back year after year. They re-seed like crazy and they are drought tolerant and deer resistant.
ReplyDeleteGood idea! My mother has some datura. Perhaps I can get some seed from her. Thanks for the suggestion!
DeleteOne year I planted moonflower on the arbor visible from our dining room. It was gorgeous! Wanting something more permanent, I planted jasmine on the arch the next year, so there was no room for a moonflower. I have missed it so. I must find a perfect place for one to ramble. I think moonflower is so romantic!
ReplyDeleteI think it is, too! I did the same thing to an arch - I planted moonflowers on it for a couple of years, then finally planted jasmine on it. Ramble is the right term for moonflowers!
DeleteThey do look lovely! I would like to have this pretty vine outside my window to seduce me when I get up in the middle of the night (a frequent occurrence at this stage). I'd need to find something that could take their 20 foot length, though! I agree your obelisk isn't quite getting the job done : )
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that the obelisks would be smothered like that! Plants alway start out so innocently from little seeds. It's hard to imagine sometimes the monsters they may become!
DeleteSuch a pretty flower, I guess this plant just wasn't meant to be. Climbers can be very rampant which is why I have none, and I absolutely adore the fragrance of Jasmine.
ReplyDeleteI love the look of climbers, but in reality, I don't have many places to put them either. Maybe I can find just the right spot some day.
DeleteI grew moonflowers when I lived in SC and I love them. I want to grow them again but don't have the space. I need more garden....! Yours are beautiful! :o)
ReplyDeleteThis one certainly needs space! Maybe I can find another suitable spot for them. I'll have to put my thinking cap on!
DeleteIt's a great plant Holley, a fab alternative to bindweed!
ReplyDeleteMorning glories are quite invasive here - they reseed everywhere, and are almost impossible to get rid of once planted. But these are quite subdued, so they are a good alternative. I almost envy the gardeners that live in climates where morning glories really are an annual!
DeleteMama used to grow moonflowers, so pretty. I'm not a fan of vines, so I grow the reseeding thug, white Datura, easily pulled up and a shoes and socks plant for the slightly taller Purple Swirl Datura and the even taller Brugmansia, all night blooming and attractive to Hummingbird Moths. The nighttime fragrance is the most attractive part of all these plants.
ReplyDeleteI really, really want a brugmansia, but I really don't think they could withstand our cold. I do love the way they look, though. I've never grown datura, but your image of the white and purple daturas together sound lovely.
DeleteIs your cold colder than My cold, zone 8b? Brugs die to roots but come back in Spring. It's easy to keep some little cuttings over winter. Some people dig the whole plant and store it dormant in a frost-free garage or someplace. The downside of brugs and datura is that every part is poisonous.
DeleteI'm in 8a, and brugs would probably do fine most years, but we always have that occasional year when everything tropical gets killed. The last time it did that, I decided I would try to stick to my zone! And I'm much too lazy to dig up plants and replant them! :O Maybe I should give one a try anyway. I didn't realize they would come back every spring. Now.... where to put one.....
DeleteHolley, that last photo is hilarious! Definitely not a plant for an obelisk.
ReplyDeleteI don't have room for moonflowers, but I hope you find the right spot.
Not sure I'll ever find the right spot, but it's been fun trying! :)
DeleteI love these but have never grown them...no room for them.
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem - they really do need a lot of room!
DeleteI like the idea of planting flowers that bloom in the evening, but I'm not sure where I'd put them. We have too many mosquitoes to sit outside at night--except on the screen porch. So the Moonflowers would have to be within the sight line of the screen porch. Hmmm ... now you have me thinking ...
ReplyDeleteI hope you find just the right spot. It's fun to have a night blooming flower, if you can see it from a window or porch.
DeleteYou know I ordered Moonflower seeds this year but didn't get them in! Now I know that I should get them in next year! How outstanding are they in your space! You had me laughing about the wires and your husband!!! Let me know where you put them next year!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you plant them next year - and in a good spot where they have lots of room to roam! I'm still thinking about those wires. Maybe I could plant the somewhere a little easier for me to reach. I'll have to walk around the garden with my thinking cap on!
DeleteThey're so pretty...I wish I had the space for them! I don't think they like our colder nights here as much so they don't tend to grow so long (but they'll still fill out mightily). Great screening plants.
ReplyDeleteSheryl @ Flowery Prose
I think they do love our heat! But you make a great suggestion about using them for screening! They would be perfect for that!
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