Morning Glories

[Chad-K]

Anyone else love morning glories as much as I do?!

My obsession started 3 years ago when my mom planted a few morning glory seeds. That summer Heavenly Blue morning glories covered her front porch. I became hooked!

Last year I planted some morning glory seeds. I grew Blue Star, Flying Saucer, Scarlet O Hara, Crimson Rambler, Star of Yelta and Milky Way. I also grew some purple and pink ones that my mom called the old fashioned ones. I loved them all, but my favorite had to be Blue Star.

Then, last winter I found out about Japanese morning glories! I bought some online.

This year I grew most of what I mentioned above and some Japanese morning glories. I cant remember the names of them all, but I do know one is the "chocolate" variety and I also had the dark pink Mt. Fuji. Absolutely beautiful!

Here is a picture of one morning glory that did very well this year. This pink one is the kind that my mom calls the old fashioned type.

[Chad-K]

Star of Yelta also did very well for me this year.



I think the pink ones and the Star of Yelta did so well because they re-seeded and I left them alone and let nature do the rest.

[opabinia51]

Mornign Glory has very pretty flowers that also attract beneficial insects to gardens. I love how they look but, where I live; they are SOOOOOO invasive.

They are actually a really, really, really pesky weed. Even when I try to keep on top of them they just take over my vegetable garden. It's crazy. I just can't seem to get on top of them.

What are they like (as far as invasiveness is concerned) in your region Chad?

Thanks for the photos, they are very beuatiful! If the darned things weren't so invasive, I'd plant them as well but, I have enough trouble just trying to keep them at bay.

[Chad-K]

The only wild morning glory in my area is called bindweed, I think. It has white flowers. The weed only lasts during the summer, the winter kills it. I don't think I have ever seen anyone have bindweed in their yard or garden, I mostly see it along creek banks and near swamp areas or wetlands and along country roads in the bright hot sun. Bindweed is in the Convolvulus family.

The rest of the morning glories are not invasive at all. In fact, the morning glories that are usually grown in these parts, the Ipomoea family, would be greatly appreciated if they were a little invasive and lasted longer. The only time in my area that we get to enjoy these wonderful flowers is from July till about the end of September. They are usually planted after our last frost for best results which is in the middle of May and it takes them a little while to get started but once they do they are fairly quick climbers and should start blooming by July. We really only have about 3 months of bloom time in my area.

This year we had a hot and dry summer. Although morning glories are supposed to be drought tolerant and do well neglected, I actually had to water them this summer and everyone I know had slow morning glories this year. It was not the best summer in my area for morning glories. The ones that I do have I cherish!

You should really try growing some morning glories from the Ipomoea family. Just pick a small empty area and put up a trellis or some support of some kind at least 6 feet tall or taller and plant a few seeds around it and see if you like it. If not, just cut the vine down before any seeds can develop. In my area we collect the seeds once they dry, which some are ready right now, but others wont be ready till sometime in October. I also leave some seeds on the vine and let mother nature do her thing. The morning glory seeds fall to the ground and wait for spring, they then sprout and grace us with their presence for another season.

I recommend Blue Star! Or even Milky Way or the ones you see pictured above! Any morning glory from the Ipomoea family is excellent!

[Chad-K]

Heavenly Blue is the most popular morning glory to grow. I highly recommend it!

[grandpasrose]

What beautiful morning glories! I love morning glories too Chad, and plant them every year. I don't have any problem with them being invasive, but that is probably because of the cold temperatures we have in winter. We do have bindweed as you do though!!
I have started my morning glories in the house the last couple of years so that I can get an earlier start for the bloom.
Gorgeous photos!
VAL

[ddensmore]

Hey Chadk,
Did you collect seeds from your Japanese morning glories? I was wondering if you had whether you would like to do some garden trading. I would love to try some of the Japanese varieties. If you did not harvest seed, could you direct me to a good online source to purchase some of these seeds?
Thanks,
ddensmore

[Chad-K]

Im sorry, I only collected a few seeds from my Japanese morning glories. Those varieties did not do too well this year, I think it was a mix of the weather and where I planted them. Better luck next year!

I got mine from Ebay. You have to be careful though, bid carefully and know that you are confident you trust the seller and agree with the price. It can be expensive, but I got some good deals last year. Even if you can only afford to by one type of Japanese morning glory, its worth it.

[SNOWWOLF]

HI!

I myself love these vibrant little flowers! Each year I plant new seeds(or wait for the ones Mother planted in my beds grow and grace the front of my apartment. Moon glories are also nice when you want a night bloomer to fill in the gaps after the sun sets. I often collect seeds from my vines(they often reach several feet longer than is mentioned on seed packets and sites for these plants).Last year along i gathered more than 2oz worth of seed and still had enought o leave on the old vines for nature to deal with onits own.

Biggest problem here(central florida) is being sure they get sufficient water during the hottest months of the year(july thru september) but they start as early as the end of feb and bloom through most of the year.

[Guest]

i love morning glories too i had about 200 seeds gave to me planted around my fence line hope they grow up my fence as they are nice i live in otterville ontario in zone 5a

[Flowerlover]

I, too, love morning glories. On our farm, many years ago, they grew wild and were beautiful! My husband hated them, because they choked our soy bean crop. Now, we have no farm and I can't get the things to grow in my garden! I planted some seeds last year, and the year before. They looked almost sickly, compared to the beautiful ones entwining around our soy bean plants!

[Durgan]

http://xrl.us/oypa

11 July 2006. The morning glory vines give a beautiful shade for the deck. The vegetation is excellent this year, and it is starting to flower. One can get more flowers if kept relatively dry and no rich soil, but I use it for shade, so treat it well. There will be many different coloured flowers later in the season. The trellis is 8 feet high and 12 feet long.

http://xrl.us/pad5
21 July 2006. Ir rained yesterday, and the Morning Glory plants responded.



Durgan.

[Newt]

Here in my zone 7 garden I have discovered seeds that have been in the ground for 5 years have sprouted. The seeds stay viable for a very long time.

Newt

[lillieyflower]

i to love them , i live in tampa, fl. and it gets so hot..... i have planted them for 2 years now, and never have got them to look half as good as all of yalls.....i do not know what i am doing wrong......thay never have many leaves and allways look like thay are going to die and not to many flowers eather......can anyone help me ? please....... i have allmost said forget it i can not grow this..... p.s. all the pics are so pretty it makes me want to cry when i look at mine....

[lillieyflower]

i to love them , i live in tampa, fl. and it gets so hot..... i have planted them for 2 years now, and never have got them to look half as good as all of yalls.....i do not know what i am doing wrong......thay never have many leaves and allways look like thay are going to die and not to many flowers eather......can anyone help me ? please....... i have allmost said forget it i can not grow this..... p.s. all the pics are so pretty it makes me want to cry when i look at mine....