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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Moonflower

I've tried to grow moonflower for three years now and never had a single bloom. But this twining vine with the pure white blossoms is worth trying again and again. Here's the payoff. I was walking along the sidewalk the other night checking on fallen branches from the weekend's storm when a strong, startlingly sweet scent stopped me in my tracks. I looked over, and there on the fence was this incredible flower. It was about five inches wide, a soft, alabaster white, with large, heart-shaped leaves. If you haven't experienced moonflower, you're missing something wonderful.

Moonflowers are annuals in this neck of the woods. They're night-blooming, pollinated by moths and bees and with a flower like this and the name Ipomoea alba, you know they're related to morning glories. Moonflowers have a mystique about them. They open in about one minute as it's getting dark, making them a favorite of photographers, and disappear with the morning sun. It's always advised to plant them in full or partial sun, near a place where people will be sitting or walking - a doorway or patio or, in my case, along a fence where neighbors will be passing by.

Hope they're enjoying my moonflower, which seems as potent a symbol as any for the fleeting nature of summer. Think I'll take an evening stroll tonight. 
Posted by Virginia Smith @ 11:26 AM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About Virginia A. Smith
Ginny Smith, a Philadelphia native, worked as a reporter at newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Ohio – with six short months at the end of the Bulletin tossed in – before returning to Philadelphia in 1985 to join the Inquirer. Her favorite beats here have included Center City, roving around Pennsylvania (and getting paid for it!) and alternative medicine. She’s also been City Editor and Pennsylvania Editor. Ginny has been happily writing – and learning - about gardening fulltime since 2006. She’s won two silver medals of achievement from the national Garden Writers Association and in 2011, Bartram’s Garden honored her with its Green Exemplar award for her stories about “the region’s deeply rooted horticultural history, cultural attractions and bountiful gardens.”
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