Imagine morning glory flowers on steroids and in the purest white. You're visualizing moonflowers; big, round late-summer blossoms. It's akin to growing full moons on a vine.
In Connecticut, moonflowers (Ipomea alba), like their morning glory siblings, are spring-planted tender annuals that twist up a supporting structure. To enjoy moonflowers now, start seeds indoors during spring, about two weeks before it's safe to plant tender annuals outside. Moonflowers don't like temperatures in the 40's or colder.
I grow them up a bamboo teepee placed securely in a large
pot in full sun and safe from browsing deer. The 10- to 12-foot vines wind up, around and through the trellis to form a mass of attractive heart-shaped leaves.
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Then, WOW. During late summer evenings and early mornings white, five- to six-inch blossoms twist open and fill the air with a subtle, intoxicating scent reminiscent of a pure, fresh French perfume. It's a gardening pleasure not to be missed!
Read of other gardening-related joys, sorrows, ideas and
good reads at http://www.joenesgarden.com. Thirty years of gardening yields lots of blog fodder.
