regarding my moon flower

Discussion in 'Garden Design and Plant Suggestions' started by Manxcat, Aug 22, 2009.

  1. Manxcat

    Manxcat Member

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    I live in South Western Ontario and we still get Winter. I planted a moon flower this late Spring and it's doing beautifully. However, I'm certain it won't survive the Winter. Could I pile straw around it in hopes it will live, OR can I dig it up, pot it and keep it as a house plant untill next warm time..????? It's my pride and joy because it took me so long to find such a plant. Could anyone advise me on this matter? I would be ever so grateful! Thank you in advance
     
  2. Blake09

    Blake09 Active Member

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    Is it a vine?? Bush?? pictures? "well I just like to have some :p"

    Mines a bush, and they come back every year without aney protection from the winter. You might want to put mulch + straw around the plants and be sure to save some seeds incais it dosent come up. If they make a big enough root system they will come back every year.

    Ps.
    Welcome to the fourm, hope you enjoy it!

    pps.
    Heres my plants "just to show you" :)
     

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  3. Manxcat

    Manxcat Member

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    Hello Blake and I thank you for your reply. My moon flower is a vine, ( its first season )and remember we have cold Winters here and the earth freezes. Can I keep it alive as a house plant indoors, do you think? I will send pics when there is another blossom. Your pictures are so lovely, and I hope when I take mine they will be somewhat as nice. Thanks again. I will keep in touch
     
  4. Blake09

    Blake09 Active Member

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    Mine dont do so good in pots just because they want a large root system, but you might want to try it "with a big pot". Also be sure to save some seeds that way you will have 3 meathods to keep your moons alive next year. I just to love switch notes with other moonflower growers :)

    ~some pictures of mine, more pictures coming every week:

    http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/album.php?albumid=40

    -
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2009
  5. Manxcat

    Manxcat Member

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    August 28 ...Hi Blake! I just ran into a lady from London Ontario Canada who you sent moon flower seeds to. I was searching for people from my area regarding plants and I found her ... ( no insult to you ) I was thrilled that " we " have someone in common. Take care from Win
     
  6. rainin

    rainin Active Member

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    I live in zone five and have lots of moon flowers. The plants don't survive the winters here but the seeds come up all over the place in spring. They get large seed pods so you will have plenty of new plants if yours doesn't survive. I saw that one of your interests is surviving your winters. That is a pass time of mine also. How bad does it get up there. I live in central Indiana and have gotten quite creative at keeping warm..Have you ever used bubble wrap on your windows? It works great as the bubbles act as little insulators plus it lets in more light than heavy plastic.
     
  7. Manxcat

    Manxcat Member

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    Hi rainin! Are your moonflowers bushy plants with seed pods that look like big burrs with prickles all over them? If so, they're also called angels trumpet. ( datura or brugmansia ) My moonflower is a vine, it also comes out at night, and has smooth dark coloured seed pods. It's also called the evening glory. ( ipomoea alba ) I got so confused trying to sort these plants out, but I am learning. Thank Heavens for this site and Google. I had an angels trumpet at one time and no problem with re seeding. This one I'm not so certain about. Our Winters in this part of the province are cold and night temps can occasionally dip to 0. Day time temps average around 20 to 32 ish. We don't get as much snow as we used to, so " open " Winters can be a gardeners nightmare, due to the fact that there is insufficient white stuff to insulate the ground. Many people put straw down after blooming season just as a precaution. Your bubble wrap window idea is awesome! We've been gradually replacing windows in this house over the years, and the new ones are double pane with argon gas between the glass. However, we can only do what $$$ allow and that bubble wrap will be perfect for the " mouldy oldies " upstairs. THANK YOU! Hang in there Indiana and perhaps we'll all have a warmer than usual Winter. ( I would like snow for Christmas ) Keep in touch ........
     
  8. rainin

    rainin Active Member

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    Yes my moon flowers are the bushy plants. I tried to grow the vine a few years back but with no luck. I don't know if it was where I planted them or the short growing season but I never got even one bloom. You can buy that bubble wrap by the roll at any moving or shipping store. I wish I had night time temps at around 0 in the winter. We get sub zero temps with the wind chill going down to -30 and sometimes below even that. I have gone more towards planting native plants as the survival rate is much higher for them. Have you ever planted a canary creeper vine. I tried it this year with great luck. They are quick to germinate and grow quickly to produce yellow blooms that look like tiny yellow birds in flight. The hummingbirds love them as they do cypress vine. It has star shaped red flowers, lots of them. I love vines and am always trying new ones. I got some starts for trumpet vine from a fence row a couple years ago and hope to have blooms next year. I love wisteria and have one that is about 6 years old but has only bloomed once. I am with you on the warmer winter temps. With the price of heating fuel going up and up we can use all the help we can get!!
     
  9. Manxcat

    Manxcat Member

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    Hi again rainin! Your Winters are the same as what we used to get years back. It got much colder here in those days, but the seasons are mixed up anymore. We also are tempered by Lake Erie, IF it freezes over, that is. I like the idea of the vines. They sound lovely, although I will need more trelises. You spoke of trumpet vine .... well, let me tell you about those.. LOL I had trumpet vine planted at the South end of our house. It climbed right up to the top of the second story and eventually tried pulling off the siding because it was trying to grow under it. Of course, Hubby acted accordinly as in REMOVE VINES. Easier said than done. Their stalks were like tree limbs and they think they are omnipotent. It took three years of digging to finally eliminate them all. Having said that, they do have the most beautiful red trumpet blooms and humming birds LOVE them! We now have them planted along a snow fence which was set up to keep people from walking across our front yard.. ( annoyance that happens for those of us who live on corner lots ) The seeds are produced in long pods, and the flowers shoot out from the end of each stock. Quite hardy and awesome. Perhaps I'll try wisteria. It could join my honeysuckle hmmmmm ..... wisteria has a lovely scent, does it not? Great ideas for next year. Talk to you later, rainin.
     
  10. rainin

    rainin Active Member

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    My late aunt went through the same thing with trumpet vine. It grew on the side of her garage and after she finally pulled it off it had ruined the siding on 2 sides of the building. I thought it was beautiful, especially when it was in full bloom. Too bad they are so destructive. My husband got me a yellow trumpet vine and it was growing beautifully until sprayed it with herbicide while spraying thistles. That has happened a few times around here. I make most of my own trellises. Your imagination is your only limitation. I got started just looking at trellis patterns on line and then adapting the design to the materials I have. I use alot of mulberry branches as they are plentiful here and if you use them when they are green they bend easily to make interesting shapes in your trellis.
     
  11. Manxcat

    Manxcat Member

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    My gosh rainin, you are one creative Gal! The only twiny branches we have are blackberries. Nummy berries when in season but I wouldn't touch those branches for love nor money. They're armed to kill with zillions of tiny sharp thorns. I'm actually surprised they're still intact because my husband accuses them of attacking him every time he mows the lawn. However, willow boughs might be an alternative for we non mulberry people. Our Menonites make fascinating chairs out of them. I've been seriously studying moonflowers ( Google again ) since last we visited, and I've discovered that what I thought was a fat flower bud is actually a seed pod. Oddly enough I was both disappointed and happy. As well, I know how the soon to be blooms form and what to look for. There are plenty of " whats " on that vine. Every night I go outside, camera in hand, to check for another white beauty. The weather has been beautiful, so there is hope. I've also decided that once the cold hits, I'm going to pack straw around my Darlin' and hope for the best. Oh, I DO like your " don't mow it, grow it " saying. Words of wisdom. Keep in touch, rainin.
     
  12. Blake09

    Blake09 Active Member

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    like this :D

    (all around the gerber daizes)
     

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  13. rainin

    rainin Active Member

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    My don't mow it grow it saying is a way of life for me. All my life I have hated the job of mowing and the sound of the mower itself. I have a 5 acre corner lot and so far I have 3 acres in wildlife habitat. I am still planting too. This spring I planted 500 trees and bushes from the Department of Natural Recourses so I am done with that. I have a tall prairie grass meadow and am working at getting the prairie wildflowers started there. I have to do everything from seed or seedling trees so it has taken me a little longer but now it is really starting to pay off. When we first moved here it was a standard grass yard with no life at all in it. Now there are song birds and frogs and bees and on and on. The mower gets very little use these days except to mow the paths. The willow branches would be fantastic for a trellis. If you like that idea you will love this. I make concrete bird baths using the leaves of the elephant ear plant for a mold. They look just like the leaf after you paint them and the birds love it. Plus they look great with flowers growing all around and they cost less to make that buying even a cheap bird bath and are as easy to make as a mud pie!
     
  14. Manxcat

    Manxcat Member

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    Rianin, you are a a true Woman of Nature and I commend you. True artisctic people are often close to She, Mother Nature. You have a Heavenly area to live in ... large enough to create awesome natural areas for birds and butterflies and frogs ..... all Mother Nture's children. I have to admit that I have no idea what an elephant ear plant looks like, but as well, you live in a different environment than I. I was going to comment on " grow it don't mow it " with I HATE dandelions. They are pretty, BUT I was brought up by my Daddy to have a lovely lawn. Our property is small and It's limited. However, having said that, if we had a large property with perhaps a pond .... ( dreams ) I would do exactly as you. I would drive my Archie nuts trying to create natural areas... well, maybe not. He has wisdome with such things. He would help me. The statement from me that makes him cringe is " Honey, I have a great idea " He says OMG, Win, what now!!!???? LOL You're awesome Gal! Tak care rainin. Talk to you soon
     
  15. Blake09

    Blake09 Active Member

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    Heres a good site showing most all elephant ear species with pictures:

    http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Colocasia esculenta large pc.html

    -

    Ps.
    I have a lime zinger and black magic elephant ear.

    .
     
  16. rainin

    rainin Active Member

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    Elephant ears look like elephant ears. I think they are a type of caladium. I tried the black magic a few years ago but forgot to dig it up in the fall and lost the bulbs. You can use any type of leaf to make these concrete creations. I have used large tree leaves and made little bird feeders. Even a small yard can be an oasis for wild life. I started out in just the corner of my front yard with a bird bath and shade plants. Then it started spreading. JUst think, if we all made just a little spot for nature in our yards it would add up to quite a bit. I get a lot of my native grass and flower seed from Applewood Seed Co. They have real reasonable prices if you are buying in bulk. I buy from Easy Wildflowers when I want small packets of seed. This spring I put in one of those preformed ponds I purchased at a rummage. I planted Lotus seeds and they are doing great. Its funny how our parents teachings follow us right down to the way we care for our yards. My dad wanted as much of the yard gone as he could manage and it seems as I am carrying on the tradition. It has been well worth it. My husband has the same reaction when I get a great idea. He always helps me though.
     
  17. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Blake09 for posting the link to one of my webpages. I wish I could show ALL the "Elephant Ear" species but that would take a website all its own.

    The page you noted shows only a fraction of the 150 or more variations of one species, Colocasia esculenta! If you throw in all the species that get the name "elephant ear" we'd be looking at a thousand or more plants in many genera.

    This link may explain a bit better: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Elephant Ear.html

    But then again..........it may just muddy the water. Frankly, I really dislike the name "Elephant Ear" and when you read the page you'll understand why. When people write personally and say "I have an Elephant Ear" I almost get ill. Which one?
     

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