“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.” It has been a while since I gave an update on my little winter window garden. The highlight of the winter has been watching the growth of my Japanese morning glory plants! Ipomoea nil won't bloom outdoors for me because of the short season. I had pretty much accepted the fact that I would never get to see one of these beautiful flowers in person, at least so long as I lived in Maine! But then someone told me that they could be grown inside, so I decided to try it. I had just 4 Ipomoea nil 'Chocolate' seeds left from the packet I'd bought when I tried to grow them in my garden. All 4 of them germinated and have been brightening my snowy days ever since! 😁  These plants are sensitive to day length, so the short days of winter only make them bloom more quickly! I was actually planning to wait a while longer and then surprise everybody with a big beautiful flower, but I can't keep a secret that long. 😊 So, here are a couple of the most promising buds!   Also, a friend recently sent me seeds for over 20 different kinds of rare Japanese morning glories! I don't have the space to grow them all at once (much as I'd like to!) but I have 3 seedlings each of 'Purple Reverse Tube', which will also have beautiful lime green leaves...  And 'Sazanami', which has huge, purple/pink and white speckled blooms!. I love the pinkish coloring on these seedlings too!  In the meantime, one of my Heartsease plants has opened its first flower, just in time to hold me over! Today, as I look out on the falling snow, this little one brings to mind these lines from Emily Dickinson... "I'm the little 'Heart's-Ease'!  There is nothing like having a few little plants growing on a windowsill during the winter months. The bitter cold and barrenness outside only makes them all the more precious! 😊
10 Comments
Joanna
2/4/2019 02:35:59 pm
I didn't know there were so many different varieties either! I just learned about them last fall. Many of them are unbelievably beautiful. I can't understand why they aren't offered by more seed companies!
JanetLee
1/30/2019 09:13:58 pm
Joanne, beautiful, just beautiful!
Oh my, it sounds like you have an early spring! That's wonderful! 😊
Veleria
1/30/2019 11:03:33 pm
Well, I tried checking the box first and it worked. Now it has jumped inside this box but the check is still inside and the submit has the line thru it. I will try to send this and see what happens and if I get a notice. Thanks. V
Veleria
2/3/2019 03:17:31 pm
I used to grow beautiful morning glories, then one day these beautiful, completely gold, beetles showed up and they stripped all the leaves. So I waited several years and tried again and back they came, ate them all. I was so sad, for I love morning glories so much. Oh no! It is always very sad and disappointing when we cannot grow a flower that we love so much. I just did a quick google search about morning glory pests and one of the first things that came up was the Tortoise Beetle, which might match your description. Have you tried growing them inside? It is so easy and they do very well in a sunny south or west facing windowsill! Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI am a passionate gardener and seed-saver, who also enjoys playing the violin and accordion, running, spending time with my 4 golden retrievers, keeping chickens, photography, and reading. 
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