Vigna Caracalla - almost ready :)

Wanted to share some pics from earlier today, I am getting soo excited!!!

they are sure growing

Yours are looking good. Are they first year plants?

Jeanette

The one vine was started from seed in spring of 2003, the other are from Parks (I believe they were rooted cuttings), and yet another was started from seed this spring, it's not ready to bloom yet.

Will post more photos soon as they bloom.

today's shot of a bloom............

Wow......beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is the size of the blooms?
Kaleem

so far they are just about the size of a quqrter or maybe a little larger..... (perhaps a little larger than an inch)

Hey Laurrie!!
All the ones I've started from seed this year are still under two feet tall and no blooms...

The two that came back from the ground from last year are HUGE, and about to pop-just like yours...

I've decided age really does make a difference with these!

Can't wait until you smell it for the first time! I think it smells like a really strong jasmine.

My brother was visiting last season when mine were in bloom and he thought it smelled disgusting, lol...way too strong for him. I guess it takes all kinds to make the world go round, right? lol...

Has your house and yard fully recovered, now(with your help, of course!)?
-T

LOL well I think I will definitely like the scent, I have been told by too many people to not think I will just be IN LOVE!!!

I agree with you at least from my experience here growing from seed. takes awhile to get the stunning effect I am getting ready to see.

My place, LOL, well the front area is looking good, don't wanna think about the back and side areas!! We will be getting a bulldozer and lots of topsoil in back and side areas here soon, new bed areas, etc. It was so destroyed when they laid out my old basement back there, what a mess. But YES we are getting it all back together and it's about time!!!

House, there is another story, with me working now outside the home, I dont' have time to do much here, but we did get the hardwood floors down in the kitchen (wallpaper too) and livingroom, hallway to garage, well it's next but not done yet, got some nice tile sitting here waiting to get to the bathroom! I will have to post before and after shots one of these days! Thanks for asking. Your gardens I am sure look lovely this year!!!
~L

Nope! They're not! lol...

We had a pool put in (stared April fools and had water June 1st) and in order for the trackhoe and all that stuff to get past the side of the house, my entire veggie/fruit garden had to be dug up, as well as many, many roses. On one side of the fence we had to dig out the entire 80 feet of beds along the fence. Against the house, about 30 feet...and all the sod inbetween was destroyed.

It was a LOT of digging. And, now everything is stressed and crammed in pots...I feel like I am an entire year behind, now...It will take me the rest of the season to put it all back together, and even then I might not get done.

That also says nothing of the NEW stuff I had wanted to plant in...I try to keep it at least organized looking, but the truth is ...it is a mess! lol...

I also have to water my buns off, because everything is in pots...
Sorry I am complaing! lol...sometimes I'd rather have not had the pool, and just have my old garden back!

I'm sure you know how that feels, and that is why I allowed myself to ramble, lol...AND, you know that using heavy equipment and "construction" usually means "DESTRUCTION" prior to construction. And, then cleaning up the mess....ugh...

After three months of construction/destruction, the the REAL work began, lol...

We now needed to put several K worth of grass/sod back down. The equipment ran over the ground so much, that there was no more grass, and the ground was packed like cement...We had been working on that soil for years and had just gotten it to where I could practically dig my veggies with my hand, before this! It compacted as much as 6 inches in some places...

It took us several exhausting days to unload a "belly dump"(or something like that) truck (22 yards) of sandy loam and spread it (just two people and two weelbarrows), before we took several more days to lay what seemed like millions of pallets of sod...We have been exhausting ourselves for months.

I'm telling you...real step backward! lol...maybe I'll forget all about it in a few years, when the garden is back together and I can enjoy the pool...

Right now, I am digging myself to death in 100 degree weather, and only use the pool for a quick dip for a minute, so I don't get heat stroke! lol...

No time for a pool! Must get garden back together!, lol...Most people(that don't garden) tell me I should just be happy we got a pool, but at least my garden friends understand...

-T

OMG!!! goodness, your area sounds like mine, I am so sorry and yes I truly understand being a gardener! Forget the pool, work on the beds and lawn LOLOL

I am working in my scifstore today, but will try to get back on here later to chat more with you!! Thanks for sharing your story and troubles with me, I know exactly what is giong on and its no fun!!

Yes, you'll have to write later and fill me in...

I keep hoping you've ditched that job of yours, lol...but I see you are still at it...a job sure does take away time from gardening, doesn't it?!
LOL>>>
-T

Seedpicker, I cannot even imagine doing all of that and ruining your nice yard too. No pool is worth that.

Jeanette

LOL...I know,... but that isn't what my husband thought, lol...
-T

I started some seeds over the winter & I stuck the seedlings in a pot with my double blue Clitoria & Moonshadow Hyacinth Bean. Imagine my surprise when I saw buds on Monday!

And it is in full sun. I was afraid it would be too hot, especially since it was in a pot, but I lined the clay pot with a plastic garbage bag and it has really maintained the moisture! The darn Corkie has budded before the Hyacinth. Go figure.

Donna-
That is about how mine look..Let's all three race!, lol...
I would assume that yours would bloom first because of your zone. You are usually a few weeks ahead of us, here.

Laurrie-I would have thought yours would not be as far along as they are, being you are so much further north, but you might beat us both! lol...

It sure has been a strange year...

The "corkies" as Donna called them, are blooming much earlier than it seems like they bloomed last year. I hope that doesn't mean we are not getting an 'indian summer' this year. I just hate it when Fall comes early...
-T

I always think of you & I as the same conditions, I forget your a zone below me. I guess it is because of all the tropicals you grow.
I think Laurrie will notice faster results now that she has them in full sun. I am so excited for you Laurrie! I expect a phone call when the first one pops, LOL, assuming you can get your nose out of the blossom. ;~)
The ones I have planted in the ground have been blooming for a while now. But I really did not expect the potted new ones to bloom this year. I sprayed ant poison around the pot today. I hope I can keep the stinkers out!

Donna-

Ok, that makes more sense...mine are in the ground, too...and I was quite surprised when I thought yours were off schedule for being a few weeks ahead of mine...

I have had the acrobat ants and the fire ants eat through my blossoms, too. I think they just cannot fit inside the flower like the tiny ones, so they chew through them to get the nectar...

I had a nice little family of the teeny tiny ones that had made their home directly beneath the vine a few years ago, and the Terminex guy thought I was nuts when I told him he could spray everything except that one ant pile, lol...I told him I wanted to keep those, lol...he also gave me a strong lecture about having the vines "on the house"

Anyway, that year I had more seed pods than I've ever had so far, and I credit it to the little sugar ants. They did not destroy the blooms like the others and could actually crawl into the coil and pollinate them...

OK well this corkscrew vine is sure taking it's sweet time!

Sure is getting close, though!
;)

I have to work today, so ran around quick this morning to snap pictures!

and the drum role.....................

I've thought the same thing..mine has had small buds seemingly forever !

WONDERFUL!!!!

Worth the wait!!! Something new on my gotta have list.

Breezy,

You didn't mention anything about the fragrance. Is it as good as others have said?

Ops just editing my typo.

This message was edited Aug 22, 2005 12:27 PM

LOL wellllllllll............ we had so much rain mine didn't have a scent YET, but tonight I fully expect to be knocked silly by the fragrance!!!! Will update and let you all know!