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Saturday 23 February 2008

Moon Flower Hopes !




I some how fell off the garden part of my blog and got carried away with trying to kill time with this rotten winter weather.
Now with the sun shinning so brightly today my thoughts are back on track and I want to focus on plants and my hopes for them ?
A friend of mine got me thinking about Moon Flower vines .. she loves them, and since I have never tried them out for a test ride .. I thought YES !

I was really lucky to start my hunt early (January .. yes .. JANUARY !) .. and I struck pay dirt at our Home Depot .. and ..... they had "Mr. Fothergills" at the best price I had seen .. some companies wanted almost $8-9 .. talk about "better to shop a round!"
So I grab 4 packages .. along with some other neat ones .. they do Canada Day specials with red and white sweet peas .. too cute to live !!
I had been doing some cruising about these beautiful annual (for us in the NORTH) vines and I think I have a handle on how to plant them .. I have pots and trellises for the deck .. I want to make sure we get a large whiff of their fragrance and if we are lucky .. see some humming birds drink from the nectar. Apparently some BIG moths (Hawk or Sphinx moth) go for them as well .. that is where I exit .. moths and I .. not a good mixture .. Freud would have a field day with that one.

In any case .. there seems to be a "nick or not to nick" advice quandary plus a soak time question .. the seed pack says up to 48 hours and no nicking .. other information says no longer than 8 hours soaking (no consequences are stated so what the heck happens if it is longer who knows ?) and NICK ! ..
I'm thinking that the seed packet "Mr. Fothergill's" should know what they are talking about so it is a no nick zone and I can soak for a while ?

While I was looking ... moon gardens were mentioned .. all white plants that almost glow in the dark and most have wonderful fragrances .. now if I could only stay up that late in the summer when it doesn't get dark until quite late (ok .. menopausal women need lots of rest so stop the snickering !) .. but the thought of dancing from one plant to the next in the dark of the night .. how cool is that ? .. if only I could DANCE, and if only I didn't have NEIGBORS, and if only I could be sure those MOTHS don't show up !!

The pictures I post are NOT my own .. so all credit to who ever shot them ! I couldn't get in touch with each and everyone but I have a feeling they meant to share the photos if they are posted on the net ? .. hope so !
If I am really really lucky I will have my own pictures to brag about and if I can actually get a little video of it unfurling (which is supposed to be less than one minute) .. I would be over the "moon" with gardener's happy dance .. oops .. I don't dance .. but boy, I'll be ecstatic !!!
That GIANT moth came first to mind, JEEZ ! .. utter fear and fascination of it .. is there a support group for moth frightened people ?









9 comments:

Robin's Nesting Place said...

I grew them last year, soaked and didn't nick. They were really large by the time I planted them in the garden. I loved the flowers but my trellises weren't sturdy enough for them and they began leaning by the end of summer. I don't plan to grow them again unless I have more room. They get huge.

Linda said...

We do seem to get consumed by how much snow we are having and we should realize there isn't anything we can do about it but complain. Those moon flower vines will be wonderful. I think I'll have to get some for my trellis area as well.

Gail said...

good evening...I love Moon Flower Vine. I especially love the fragrance and then the way the flower twists when it closes. There is a nursery that sells the seedlings in sixpacks....how lazy can I get!

I want to have one growing by a door or window, maybe this year.

Have you tried hyacinth vine...really nice vine, too.

Gail

Tina said...

I will be looking for your moonflower videos and pictures later on, maybe they can satisfy my years long desire to grow these....so far I have not been able to get one going! Im not sure why....good luck!

Anonymous said...

Joy: Lovely photos of the moon flower - will we achieve the same do you think? I always soak hard seeds over night, and will do so with these. So, are you going to plant them indoors or totally wait and do them outside? Actually, I just might nick some of them and plant them separately, just to see what happens - now if I can only remember to write down which are nicked and which aren't ...
Rose

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, get a video of it opening!! And you got such a good deal on them. I hope you have many evenings of mooning joy!! lol

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Robin
Wow ! they were that large ? .. I really want to see these puppies get big and beautiful .. I have some large pots and large trellises so hopfully it will all look larger than life too ! LOL
Hi Crafty
I think this winter was the worst, for continuous snow fall, than we have had in a lot of years .. it discouraged us, but in the end we all know we needed the ground water from it, I try to be positive ? LOL grumble grumble
Hi Gail
This is my first time with Moon Flower (I haven't done Hyacynth yet either) .. I have the BIG pots on the deck for the best sun exposure and the best "smell" exposure too ! LOL
Hi tina
I wonder why you had problems growing it ? I hope to get great pictures and if only we had a scratch and sniff section ! LOL
Rose ! that was funny .. you would have to put them in separate pots "nicked" and not "nicked"
I'm not good with starting things indoors .. no room .. so direct sow ? into pots when the weather is right ? fingers crossed !
Anna .. I was doing the gardener's happy dance right there in Home Depot .. hubby went down another isle .. what gives ? LOL .. I'm hoping for great pictures and no reason for me to moon ? LOL

Anonymous said...

Ooh I would steer clear of anything that attracted moths of that size to the garden!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

earthwoman .. yup, I know what you mean .. that moth is SCARY !
Joy