Knowing that spring will give way to summer is very comforting to me, it also allows me to plan and make my garden, well, my garden. Every year there's a chance to make things better, try something new, and with a little planning now my summer nights will be even more fragrant and beautiful than they were last year.
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| Please note: These vines really can get 15 feet tall. Plan ahead, have some place/space for them to grow. |
This summer I want to have moonflowers. Two weeks ago I soaked a few seeds overnight in a cup of water, and the next day I planted the seeds around the garden.
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| Slightly warm water. Twenty four hours later we have sprouting (in one or two - not all). This is where I tell you that these seeds are in a very small cup - less than two inches across. I use this cup because it is not my every day coffee cup (this helps me not drink my sprouts). |
I put little white stones around the seeds so I would remember not to weed anything growing between the stones (sometimes I get a bit zealous and start yanking out anything that looks 'out of place' to me).
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| It's a good thing I marked the plants because when I looked at the seedlings Wednesday afternoon my first thought was these are too ugly to be moonflowers. |
In a few weeks these will be a beautiful shade of green and a little taller. The trick to moonflowers is to know that they will grow and to have a place for them to stretch out a bit. I'll keep you posted on these. I'm now waiting patiently for a warm summer night when I can stand and watch the flowers bloom. And the fragrance will be wonderful.
If you have time and you like a sweet read, try Jan Karon's book The Trellis and the Seed. It's a children's book, sort of, and you can probably read it in 10 minutes.
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| Thanks Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trellis-and-the-seed-jan-karon/1102238416 |
This book will explain the life of the moonflower as it gently reminds you that you're never too old (or too young) to enjoy a thing of beauty.
Thursday Morning UPDATE: These plants are poisonous. So are daffodils. clematis, azaleas and lots of other beautiful things in our gardens. This is one of the many reasons I wear gloves when I work in my garden. Thanks for the reminder Robin.
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8 comments:
I plant moonflowers every year, always so enjoyable. They also come in purple, and last year I had a yellow one, but it was an upright growing plant, and the blooming was not very interesting. And do remember that the moonflower and its pods are poisonous. Looking forward to lots of photos of all of your garden growings.
They are sweet, pretty flowers. Enjoy yours! I have always enjoyed all things Jan Karon, and The Trellis and the Seed was no exception! :)
Oh I can hardly wait to see those blossoms! Someday when we have our own bit of land I am going to plant moonflowers. I have been eyeing them in the seed catalogues for years! :)
you are smart to use the white rocks. :)
Enjoyed your photos and had to smile when I read your update!Never knew daffs.azaleas and clematis were poisonous and I have all three in my garden and adore them!Will be watching those moonflowers,they look familiar but maybe called something different here?Certainly never too old to enjoy beauty!
Oh, I love moonflowers! The first year I grew some was the first time I ever saw a hummingbird moth. Now I see them in the garden every year. I never read the book, but it sounds lovely.
I am so looking forward to our gardens...the only problem is that our season is so short... like you saw we still have snow.... the ground is still frozen...but soon I hope:)
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