I have been spending time with family, but will post one today. Thanks for looking at the blog even if it hasn't been updated for a few days. Moonflower is the discussion today.
I wonder when the moonflower blooms and is fragrant? They are in the morning glory family, so it will be vining. Give this one a try. This vining morning glory cousin shines at the other end of the day. When morning glory is closing up, moonflower is just getting ready to open. Moonflower can be a bit more difficult to grow from seed than morning glory. Let's face it, morning glory needs no outside assistance to thrive. It helps to scarify and pre-soak moonflower seed, before planting. You might even consider starting them in peat or paper pots and then transplanting outdoors.
Moonflower can also be variable when it comes to its fragrance. It is definitely strongest in the evening, so plant it by a seating area or open window. The scent is very soft, almost like baby powder, but quite lovely on a summer's breeze. And the clear white flowers almost glow in the dark, perfect for an evening garden
Height: 8 - 10 ft.
Width: 12 - 15 inches
Hardiness Zone: USDA zones 8 - 11 (usually grown as an annual)
Exposure: Full sun
To be honest, growing moonflowers in a cool climate isn't easy, however, moonflowers are definitely worth the trouble of growing them for their incredible beauty and the powerful fragrance that they add to a garden at night. Before growing moonflower vines there are a few things you should know. The seeds are poisonous and this vine can become a noxious invader or an invasive in certain areas of the country.
It is also a self-seeder, so if you don't want it to return next year, pick off the spent flowers so they don't form seed pods. Also, these are huge and vigorous vines that can grow 8-10 feet, so you will need a large trellis. Because the produce large and spectacular white flowers as the sun goes down, and sometimes on cloudy days, moonflowers are perfect to grow in an outdoor eating area, or near a bedroom window, where their fragrance can sweeten the night air.
Moonflowers have large, beautiful, heart-shaped leaves that grow on vigorous vines, reaching eight feet or higher. The flowers are huge, around six inches long and three to six inches at the widest part. Iridescent white, the flowers are trumpet shaped and spectacular. Try growing moonflowers with morning glories for a spectacular flowering display. The morning glories will flower all day and then the moonflowers will take over as the sun goes down night.
A couple of keys to growing moonflowers successfully:
•If you live in a colder climate start seeds early. Plant indoors, under lights, approximately four weeks before night time temperatures are reliably greater than 50 °F. The plants take awhile to set flowers so make sure to start them early enough.
•Soak seeds in warm water for four to eight hours before you plant them. This will help with the germination rate.
•Start seeds in plantable pots (peat or Cow Pots work well), because the roots don't like to be disturbed. You can plant your seedling pot and all with these pots, minimizing root disturbance . That said, it is possible to buy moonflower seedlings in plastic pots and transplant them successfully.
•Once night time temperatures have reached 50°F, plant seedlings in a large pot.
•If you live in a warmer climate you can sow your seeds directly into a pot (though these are the areas where the plants can become invasive).
•You want potting soil that is fast-draining, but doesn't have too much fertilizer. If there is too much fertilizer, you will get lots of leaves, but not many flowers.
•Place your container in full sun.
•Keep soil moist.
taken from http://containergardening.about.com/od/floweringcontainergarden/ss/Growing-Moon-Flower-In-Containers.htm
till next time, this is Becky Litterer from Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa
I wonder when the moonflower blooms and is fragrant? They are in the morning glory family, so it will be vining. Give this one a try. This vining morning glory cousin shines at the other end of the day. When morning glory is closing up, moonflower is just getting ready to open. Moonflower can be a bit more difficult to grow from seed than morning glory. Let's face it, morning glory needs no outside assistance to thrive. It helps to scarify and pre-soak moonflower seed, before planting. You might even consider starting them in peat or paper pots and then transplanting outdoors.
Moonflower can also be variable when it comes to its fragrance. It is definitely strongest in the evening, so plant it by a seating area or open window. The scent is very soft, almost like baby powder, but quite lovely on a summer's breeze. And the clear white flowers almost glow in the dark, perfect for an evening garden
Height: 8 - 10 ft.
Width: 12 - 15 inches
Hardiness Zone: USDA zones 8 - 11 (usually grown as an annual)
Exposure: Full sun
To be honest, growing moonflowers in a cool climate isn't easy, however, moonflowers are definitely worth the trouble of growing them for their incredible beauty and the powerful fragrance that they add to a garden at night. Before growing moonflower vines there are a few things you should know. The seeds are poisonous and this vine can become a noxious invader or an invasive in certain areas of the country.
It is also a self-seeder, so if you don't want it to return next year, pick off the spent flowers so they don't form seed pods. Also, these are huge and vigorous vines that can grow 8-10 feet, so you will need a large trellis. Because the produce large and spectacular white flowers as the sun goes down, and sometimes on cloudy days, moonflowers are perfect to grow in an outdoor eating area, or near a bedroom window, where their fragrance can sweeten the night air.
Moonflowers have large, beautiful, heart-shaped leaves that grow on vigorous vines, reaching eight feet or higher. The flowers are huge, around six inches long and three to six inches at the widest part. Iridescent white, the flowers are trumpet shaped and spectacular. Try growing moonflowers with morning glories for a spectacular flowering display. The morning glories will flower all day and then the moonflowers will take over as the sun goes down night.
A couple of keys to growing moonflowers successfully:
•If you live in a colder climate start seeds early. Plant indoors, under lights, approximately four weeks before night time temperatures are reliably greater than 50 °F. The plants take awhile to set flowers so make sure to start them early enough.
•Soak seeds in warm water for four to eight hours before you plant them. This will help with the germination rate.
•Start seeds in plantable pots (peat or Cow Pots work well), because the roots don't like to be disturbed. You can plant your seedling pot and all with these pots, minimizing root disturbance . That said, it is possible to buy moonflower seedlings in plastic pots and transplant them successfully.
•Once night time temperatures have reached 50°F, plant seedlings in a large pot.
•If you live in a warmer climate you can sow your seeds directly into a pot (though these are the areas where the plants can become invasive).
•You want potting soil that is fast-draining, but doesn't have too much fertilizer. If there is too much fertilizer, you will get lots of leaves, but not many flowers.
•Place your container in full sun.
•Keep soil moist.
taken from http://containergardening.about.com/od/floweringcontainergarden/ss/Growing-Moon-Flower-In-Containers.htm
till next time, this is Becky Litterer from Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa
