Hi, Cottage Garden Mavens--
I have recently become fascinated with Morning Glories and have started a few kinds of seed under lights-- but now I am wondering how to best show them off in the garden--
I am growing Roman Candles, Shibouri, Star of Yelta, Crimson Rambler, and a couple of others...
Do any of you have ideas, tips, or pictures of wonderful ways to feature Morning Glories--and also, some ideas for supports for them?
And if any of you grow the Japanese Morning Glories, if you have the name of a good source for seeds, I would really appreciate it. And also, do you prune them?
Can't wait for spring--can you tell?! LOL
Morning Glories in the Cottage Garden? Let's see pics!
Here's a shot of mine growing on the side of the barn. They can also ramble over stone walls or fences.
Here's a close-up:
I have my morning glories on 4 trellis that stand in front of my greenhouse..by end of summer they are covered...here is a pic of them starting out...The tressis I use are 5' tall and iron...
Hi,
I had Morning Glories growing up my Hollyhocks in the garden last summer.
Very interesting photos of MGs in the garden. It's so fascinating to see the creative ways everyone can use this vine-- the classic against the old barn, trellised or in the containers, and a very fun way to use them growing up the hollyhocks.
I had not thought of using a plant as a trellis but I did see a photo yesterday of heavenly blue morning glories growing up a large sunflower, and that was fun, too.
If it weren't for DG, I would never have thought of some of these flowers or combinations, either!
I googled for 'morning glory' and 'trellis' and found some nice shots of different treatments here: http://images.google.com/images?q=morning+glory+trellis&ndsp=20&um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7GWYE&start=0&sa=N
I think I will try to collect twigs and limbs on the ground from winter storms and make a trellis 'au naturel'...at least try it, anyway!
Any more morning glory fanciers with pics?! (A few more photos would brighten this dull March day!)
Not a close up. But you can see my star of yelta on my privacy fence in this picture. The vines to the right edge of the picture are drowning a shepherds hook.
Hi.... I have been resistant to grow Morning Glories because I keep thinking of those horrible invasive "weeds" ~ I understand those are not the same as what people choose to grow. This thread has gotten me to thinking about trying some. I have a trellis of sorts (actually more like an obelisk) that I made from long pieces of driftwood, and then lashed together at intervals. (I think it's neat, anyway....) I've been trying to grow a jasmine vine on it, but the darn deer keep nibbling at it. So ~ today! I think I'll get some seeds going and try that this year. Tabasco, I'll try to come back later today with a picture of the obelisk, since you're thinking of an "au naturel" look.
Thanks for the thread!
Sanna
lavender4ever--I love the shot of your garden and your Star of Yelta. That is one MG I'd like to try too. I have the seeds in the queu waiting to be sowed a bit later when the air warms up.
Yes, sannajane, your obelisk is along the lines of my idea. I'd love to see a pic!
And I'm not experienced enough to know first hand how the invasiveness works with the morning glories.
I have read that some varieties are known to be 'wild-like' and so I have avoided those. I also know that more experienced growers advise against giving them nitrogen fertilizers to any extent that that must cut down on rampant growth aspects.
I have started seeds for Japanese Morning Glories that are not supposed to grow so quickly. And I've also started seeds for baskets and containers.
I have also read that pruning and pinching is popular for shaping these.
As far as seeds being spread by birds and so on, I don't know a remedy for that other than deadheading. Or maybe some MGs are known to be sterile?
Perhaps those more experienced can offer some opinions...?
In my garden yelta spreads seed like crazy and the seed survives even our worst winters. In the spring I just pull them up where I don't want them and my yard is not so large that this is a terrible chore. I cut the vines down in the fall well before frost to try and curb the seed spread since the year before I left the vines and the seed came up all over the place. It won't stop me from growing them though because they are really lovely. I am trying the scarlet ones this year for the humming birds. They did not care for the yeltas
Hey tab, thought I'd post this over here too. Pic taken by theresa with link to her original post.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4057867
Oh, fun pic to add to this thread! Thanks, flowerhead and Theresa! Now I'll have to start some seeds for Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate!
Sannajane,
Your obelisk sounds cool! But I must caution you that the deer love my morning glory! I grew them on an arched trellis (until the wind destroyed it in January) & the top of the trellis was completed covered with beautiful thick foliage, but the sides were bare, because they were at deer height. Good Luck. Let me know if you find a good vine to grow around your deer.
Liz
Ah!! I have read conflicting info regarding deer and MG.... and of course, they'll eat whatever they darn please!!! I'm going to give it a try anyway, since I already know for sure they like the jasmine....
Sanna
terriculture - the hollyhocks stood up okay with the vines around them?
I've also heard of people growing vines (clematis) up their lilac bushes - that way the bush is "flowering" in summer, too!
Oh yeah-I grow MG's up a sparse old rhodie that we "rescued" from May Sarton's house quite a few years ago. This year thanks to folks here at Dave's I have lots of cool MG varieties to try. I bought (I know we are all slightly embarrassed to say we purchased seeds when we have 10,000,000,000 varieties from swaps and trades) some "Mammoth" sunflower that I will try the MG's on. They are 12' tall. I have lots of other sunflowers from trade, but I didn't know the height and I wanted to be sure. I just got them from Wallyworld off their rack (along with annual sweet peas-could be a nice addition to any of these combos)
Here's a pic of the rhodie:
Edited to fix spelling errors!
This message was edited Mar 2, 2008 6:36 PM
Well, aren't those pretty! Hadn't thought of dressing up an out of season bush with some MG bloom. And your vine doesn't look so huge and weighty that it would spoil the bush, either.
Here's my driftwood obelisk.... this is just a small grouping of containers out near the driveway entrance to our property. I keep everything in containers because of the darned gophers. In the summer I have a couple of dahlias, nasturtiums, nicotiana and a couple of other things. Right now there are some crocuses in bloom and some daffodils ready to go. The jasmine is around the obelisk, and just has never done very well. Again, every time I think it starts looking good, so do the deer! I don't bother much with Liquid Fence that far from my house.... anyhoo.....
Sanna
No, there are actually four or five different MG vines growing up the rhodie and they do not weigh on it at all. Sanna your driftwood makes me think of the "teepees" that we make for pole beans and I'm thinking I will make some of those to cover in vines.
We also had this HUGE amazing wild cherry tree that just up and fell over-I would say 70 ft tall. I decided I'm going to make some kind of arbor with some of the branches for vines to climb on.
Here's the rhodie a few steps back.
sanna--great example of the natural look teepee.
And, flowerhead, the rhodie doesn't look a bit bothered by being upstaged by the MGs!
No, it already had its turn! LOL!
Looks just like my rhodie!! Last year I had the canary creeper (?) nasturtium climbing through my rhodie ~ the MGs are a great idea too. Looks great.
Morning Glories became my new garden plant addiction last summer. And I had a LOT of folks that enabled my new obsession on the Morning Glory (MG) Forum. :-)
I grow most of my vines in pots. My own experience with MGs is that Ipomoea nil vines like full to partial sun. They don't seem to be invasive at all in my yard. They do produce seeds, but not so many that I find volunteers growing everywhere. Ipomoea purpurea can tolerate partial shade. They do seem to reseed abundantly, so ya gotta watch them and grab the seed pods off the vine before they drop. I love Moonflower MGs, though they bloom at night. Nice fragrance, too! Not too bad on reseeding. I haven't grown Ipomoea tri-color yet. Must try that cultivar this year!
I mostly use pots that are big enough for 3 Bamboo stakes (6' or taller) which I make into a teepee. Tie them together near the top of the poles. This gives my vines something to grow up. My favorite potting mix is Moisture Control by MiracleGro and I also use Bloom Booster by MiracleGro to get them to bloom profusely. I fertilize them every 2-3 weeks. They are annuals. When they die I just start more from seeds! There are soooo many different cultivars of MGs in just about every color bloom you can imagine! Hence ... my reason for this addiction! LOL!
I also grow them along my backyard fence on trellises. They can cover a fence quickly and beautifully! They will grow up just about anything. The I. nils like warm summer weather. The I. purpurea seem to bloom better when the weather is cooler such as Spring or Fall.
And I have found that hummingbirds and some butterflies love these vines. I have watched hummers go up and down the vines nectaring from the blooms! It's so cute to watch!
Anyway, just some info and suggestions for those of you considering this vine in your gardens this year! :-) The only warning ... IT MAY BECOME A PLANT ADDICTION!!! LOL!
My garden style is cottage gardening. Here is a photo of my Purple Blizzard Morning Glory vines growing in my front garden bed. These were grown in a pot using the Bamboo teepee stakes!
Another photo of the purple as the vine got larger and more dense. The blooms on the I. nils are usually very large as you can see from this photo.
And as you can see, this obsession got the best of me. I grew about 20 different MG vines at one time. LOL! My backyard was a MG jungle. Rather pretty with all the different colored blooms! What you can do is move the pots around to areas where you need to add some vertical plants. Just remember though that the blooms do tend to wilt as the sun and heat beat down on them. Hence why they are called "Morning" glories. :-)
Impressed! Thanks for sharing!
Ooooh Eeeee! You really have some beauties, becky! Thanks for showing them off and also for all the tips on how to grow them into such pretty plants. Now, if we here in Ohio had the Florida sunshine to give them that special 'glow'!
Yes, you can probably tell from my posts over in the MG forum I've been bitten by the MG bug, too. I planted 20 seeds this morning from a pack of assorted JMGs from 'Onalee's Seeds' so I hope some are as gorgeous as yours. Here's Onalee's E-bay store link for anyone who needs a MG seed source:
http://stores.ebay.com/Onalees-Home-Grown-Seeds-and-More
I originally became interested because someone mentioned the HBs liked them (maybe it was your post) so...that opened pandora's box for me! I have my kitchen counter covered with little pots of them, now. I suppose you can plant directly into your containers...? I think the JMG season is too short for me to do that...
Always looking for more morning glory pics...I love to see the way they can be used in the garden... thanks everyone!
Hi Becky-Great pics! I have also been given many seeds by folks in the MG forum-very generous people there! I was just wondering how many seeds you put in each pot?
And how big are your pots?
I usually direct sow them right into the pots, but they transplant easily when young sprouts. I use the 14" diameter pots (or larger) so the 3 Bamboo poles can fit right inside the pot, too. I plant 3-4 seeds in each pot. One next to each pole and then one in the middle. :-) That way the vines grow right up each pole. With I. nils, sometimes I just plant 2 because some cultivars have HUGE leaves and blooms! They get a little too crowded if there are more than just 2. But you can always pull em out. And then when they get to the top of the poles, I wind them back down again and up and down. It will get really full looking. I sometimes prune the ends too. But that is where the new blooms come from, so I don't do that often. :-)
Thanks. Sounds good. Will give the pots a try. (-:
Becky - your Purple Blizzard MG's are gorgeous! I've never seen that color in a big MG before. Where did you get your seeds?
Here is a pic of the Heavenly Blues on a crooked bird house pole....
And a close up of one I can't remember the name of....
What's interesting here, beckygardener, is that I've always heard/read that MG's thrive in poor soil and don't flower with fertilizer. Looks like you've proved them wrong!
tamberlin, is that the Blue Star?
Thanks, Tamberlin! Your Morning Glory in the photo looks like "Milky Way" which is an Ipomoea purpurea. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/51628/
If you would like some seeds from my purple M.G., d-mail me.
PrimroseSue - The Ipomoea nils (which is mostly what I like to grow) are not usually rampant growing vines and don't grow really long. The leaves and the blooms are quite large though. I consider them more of an ornamental vine. If sowed/planted with care in good soil and fertilized regularly, they will reward you with a stunning vine! Japan is known for their unusual M.G. cultivars. It's big business over there. And creating a new cultivar is very easy to do here. You cross two M.G.s to create something new if it hasn't already been done. Morning Glories are not always round flowers either. Here is a photo of an "unknown" triple pink feather M.G. The flower has split petals instead of a solid round bloom.
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/i/38648/
This split petal variety comes in many colors as well.
Wow! That split petal MG is amazing!. It looks like one of my double hibiscus.
I planted purple and blue MG many years ago and they've spread EVERYWHERE. I occasionally get the pink, pink purple and white mixes as well as the tie-dyed looking ones (flying saucer?). I haven't had to plant purple ones in 3-4 years. I'm actually pulling up the seedlings because they overgrow everything else in their zeal.
What is a good source for the Japanese MG? I'd be interested in trying them. Now that I have a reliable woodchuck repellant!
M.G.'s keep the 'chucks away? I didn't know that!
Becky, you're right, it is Milky Way. Here's my Blue Star - much bluer!
PrimroseSue - They are very pretty, aren't they!? Yours is Ipomoea tricolor. Do you get lots of seeds and volunteers? I've never grown any I. tricolor before.
I don't have a lot of room in my yard to grow the I. purpurea because they often grow very long vines and reseed abundantly. The I. nils behave a little better for me because they aren't quite as vigorous growing. They do well in pots and the Bamboo poles don't have to be 10' tall to handle their growth! LOL! The I. purpureas are awesome for covering an unsightly fence or shed or whatever. They also make a very nice privacy barrier from neighbors. But they need room to spread out. They can be grown in pots, but tend to try to latch onto anything nearby to climb up. I am thinking I might grow one around the trunk of my Oak tree. Wouldn't that look pretty climbing up the tree? I'll just have to pull up all the volunteers after they bloom and drop seeds.
tamberlin - Check out the PlantFiles under Morning Glory:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=Morning+Glory&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search
Look at some of the Japanese cultivars. You'll know them by their Japanese names. Often there will be folks on DG that have seeds or the M.G. page will list a commercial seed source. If you are just looking for a couple of cultivars for seeds, sometimes if you post a request on the Morning Glory Forum someone will have some to share. I haven't grown out that many Japanese cultivars yet. As I grow more and collect more seeds, I will put some aside for trade or SASBE. Many of the American cultivars are just as pretty as the Japanese cultivars. :-)
Becky, I got tons of seeds from that this year. Collected a bunch, and left the rest there. We'll see how many show up this year.