They grew on the neighbor’s chain-link fence when I was a kid. A magnificent shade of blue, like little portals of sky here on earth, they bloomed early in the day, but lasted longer if the day was dark and gray. Back then they signified summer, and summer seemed to last longer too.
Behold the morning glory. Aptly-named for its blooming schedule, they are gone by early afternoon – sometimes sooner if the day is hot and the sun is bright. Made up of one round petal, they are delicate blooms, but the plant is hardy as hell, re-seeding itself like a male whore.
The traditional blue-hued variety makes up for its simplicity with the size of its blooms. New, more varied strains with powerhouse shades of magenta and fuchsia are much smaller in size, packing their wallop in such striking colors and stripes. I veered in this direction a while back, and haven’t found the energy to go back to blue.
Personally I prefer the old-fashioned variety, even if I haven’t grown them in years. The one you see here is a re-seeded sport that has returned with a darker striped cousin. I tend to weed these out, allowing one or two vines to wind their way up through the Miscanthus and Korean lilac. I should probably provide a trellis and try the traditional blue ones again, but that will have to wait until next year.
For now, it’s almost time to tuck the garden in for a long winter’s nap.
