European Gardening: Yipeeee...at last...., 1 by sueone

sueone wrote:
There's a plant that I've been trying to grow for ages, and never suceeded with, then by pure chance I picked some seeds out from a RR this year, grew it on, though I wasn't too sure what it was exactly. When I checked it out on the plant file I was so excited to see that it was in fact the same plant that I'd been trying get growing over the past few years.Maybe it had had a name change in that time?

Would I suceed this time? I eagerly watched the pot for growth, and despite many of my pots having being raided by mice this year, they emerged, strong and healthy. Good. So far so good.

I patiently kept them inside until it was warm enough outdoors ( having lost other s of thsi family from their dislike of cold nights) I then duly planted them out in various places.

Over the summer, they've taken off, some like the proverbial rocket, especially the ones on the North wall,(and I though they were tropical) each day, over the weeks I've searched the stems in vain for signs of flower buds...nothing...I was beginning to give up any hope of the coming into flower, when, bingo...there were two buds on one of the smaller plants ..each day I'd go to investigate them as they grew in size, and finally last week it flowered for the first time...was I so chuffed...I crept out with my camera in the evening...and got it...a Moonflower...

I'm hoping now that they'll set seed , so I can try again next year.

Oddly enough , the ones on the north wall, though it's really taken off and sent shoots everywhere, has no sign of flowers on it all...not sure why, guess it's put all it's energy onto growing ,rather than flowering.

Isn't it odd how such a little thing can make you feel you've achieved so much...