moonflower vine
We finished off last week with two snow days and, right now, I'm needing a few thoughts of spring. I know growing flowers from seeds seems a little "too Martha" but it is a good way to have flowers that are not always available at most places. I love green flowers and the only way I can get the "envy" zinnias is from seed. My favorite flower for about 5 years running is a moonflower vine. I first tried them on my front porch on a big trellis. The vine grows like crazy in the hot sun and then blooms in huge, fragrant flowers in the evening. Last year I tried to grow them on our porch swing supports but it didn't turn out...but I'm going to try it again this year. I'm looking at the swing covered in snow but the thought of sitting on the swing on a summer night with the moonflowers in bloom is a good dream for today.
And it really is just a dream...in reality, when I sit on the swing at night it pretty much sounds like this..."move over a little, your popsicle is dripping on me"..."stop hitting the baseball this way"..."go across the street if you want to hit the golf balls"..."put your popsicle sticks in the trash"...yelling now across the yard "shut the door!"...still yelling "if you get a lemonade don't spill it all over the kitchen floor"..."where is your Dad?". Our neighbors love us.
Oh, I can't wait for the sounds of summer. My neighbors are anxious to hear me and my own "DO NOT RUN DOWN THE DRIVEWAY IN FLIP FLOPS!" :)
Flowers from seed. Does sound Martha, but that's a good thing, lol! They grow like crazy in the hot sun - that's all I strive for...blossoms too? Wow!
Posted by:Kelley | February 25, 2008 at 11:07 AM
sounds like us too. and i am bit nervous about the historical house they are restoring next door to be a b&b. my kids are very loud and when i am **ahhem** "correcting" them shall we say, i guess i can get loud too.
Posted by:jeanetta | February 25, 2008 at 11:11 AM
That first comment cracked me up. My mom was always yelling about running in flip flops. I think the moonflower vine sounds just wonderful. I tried seeds from packets last year, but I planted them too soon and I think our last freeze killed them. I covered them with sheets and everything. Oh well. I bought some root starters this year for climbing clematis (no idea if I spelled that right). We shall see...
Posted by:Liz | February 25, 2008 at 11:48 AM
It is been a hard winter here. It seems like usually we have warm spells punctuated by cold spells, but this year it seems like the warm spells only last 6 hours!
I even took Jack to the park this morning, because I was desperate to get out of the house.
Oh, hurry, hurry spring.
Posted by:Sarah | February 25, 2008 at 11:54 AM
I really want to grow some zinnias this summer too. They take so little attention, and I dream of having plenty of fresh, bright flowers for the house...
Our neighbors love us too. Three, soon to be 4, little ones, lots of time outside, plenty of squabbles, bicycles, scooters, and makeshift tree houses. We add such a peaceful aura to our street. :)
Posted by:CharityGrace | February 25, 2008 at 02:41 PM
I can't WAIT for summer flowers! I mix my Moonflower seeds with Morning Glory seeds and that way get morning AND evening blooms on the same trellis. How Martha is that?!?
Posted by:Jenn | February 25, 2008 at 03:58 PM
OH!.. Martha flowers ~sigh~.. we no longer have Kmarts so can't get "Martha stuff"... it's oh so very sad. Last year I did Morning Glories on the arched trellis in our front yard... it was GOOD at first but then they kept growing.. and growing till the whole thing looked like Cousin IT from the Adams family.. but it had MILLIONS of flowers and I did not have the heart to pull it down. Of course it then lasted till our first real frost in DECEMBER!.. lesson learned.
Maddie,no green thumb here.
Posted by:Maddie | February 25, 2008 at 06:02 PM
i cant wait to start on plotting my own seeds too.
Posted by:bill | February 25, 2008 at 07:43 PM
I'm dreaming of Spring too!!!
And your porch swing moment is sooo us! Never a dull...or quiet...moment:) xoxo..jenn
Posted by:noodle and lou studio | February 25, 2008 at 09:04 PM
And why wouldn't your neighbors love that?
I'm dreaming of spring planting too and I'm need of a vine for my picket fence in front.
Posted by:Jen | February 26, 2008 at 09:10 AM
i just ran acroos your blog. love it. and i grow alot from seed. i love it! something about watching them pop out of the dirt! and its alot cheeper sometimes. that moonvine sounds neat. i never heard of it! will check it out!
nice to meet ya!
Julie
Posted by:julie | February 27, 2008 at 07:20 PM
Moon flowers are ever so dreamy! They took over our little pergola a few years ago. We enjoyed sitting underneath at night (until we found a 2 foot long snake skin in the vines. Sort of ruined it for us.)
Posted by:amanda bel | February 28, 2008 at 09:50 AM
Nothing's too martha! haha!
Posted by:rebekka | February 28, 2008 at 04:56 PM