Sunday and Moonflowers..............

.....................looking out beyond the dining room window and the front porch, through the steamy windows, before the hot sun burns through the morning clouds................

................the Moonflower (ipomoea alba) vines are climbing and twining.  Their pretty heart-shaped leaves manage to survive with a daily watering.  Moonflowers open at dusk, each flower taking just one minute to unfurl from the tightly curled green bud.  They are bright white and delicately perfumed, remaining open until touched by the morning sun.

On a recent evening I picked one Moonflower to bring inside, something I've never done before.  Pure white petals, six inches across, are conjoined making it feel like a silky handkerchief, held in the prettiest pale green stem extension. I tucked it into a tiny silver vase and placed it on the mantel enjoying the reflection.......................

...................the following morning it had closed and shriveled back into a tiny bud-like flower.

Moonflowers are annuals and very easy to grow from inexpensive seeds - definitely a 'bang for your buck' garden beauty!  Soak the large seeds overnight, then nick before planting about one inch deep. In late Spring I plant several in a very large planter next to the front porch.  I use nylon fishing line for them to twine and climb, reaching as high as 15 feet to the roof.  They make a curtain at the end of the porch, their beautiful large leaves providing shade from the afternoon sun as it heads west across the sky.  I also mix in some purple Morning Glories for extra color during the daytime.

Perhaps next year you will enjoy growing these beauties around your home.

  

Moonflowers 'curtaining' my front porch, closing in the early morning sunshine......fresh ones will open this evening though!