Morning glories

Morning glories cascading over a porch or trellis is one of the most beautiful sites of summer. I haven't had the luck with them that Mom has but even the puny few I've had draw comments from the neighbors.

The bloom time is summer but they seem to be late summer here. I think I'll start a few inside to give them a head start. Mom wants to keep hers away from the deck this year because of the bees that are drawn to the flowers. She has had some severe reactions to bee stings in the last few years and we don't want to take chances. She has a brush pile at the end of her lane and I think that's where I'll put the morning glories this year. They can climb all over and around it and will look beautiful. Mom will be able to see them well when as she sips her coffee on the deck but the bees will be a good distance away.

The ones Mom had the most success with last year had been started in pots at Kelp's Pumpkin Patch in Gnawbone. She sent them as a gift to Mom. They have gorgeous thing there.

If you haven't used morning glories before, soak the seed over night before planting. Don't fertilize or all you will get is leaves. Keep in mind that this is a vine and will crawl under shingles and between loose bricks. It will, however, cover any unsightly buildings in your yard. I think I'll plant them to cover the garage.

The morning glories shown here, Heavenly Blue, were dangling from Mom's deck. They do come in other shades of blue, red, purple, and white. Heavenly Blue will be more than 2 inches across, while others seem to be a bit smaller.