Specialty Gardening: I've lost my container garden! Need ideas, 1 by beckygardener

beckygardener wrote:
Hi 3jsmom31 - Morning glories come in many cultivars and species. The wild ones are usually invasive in my zone (10a), so I refrain from growing them here. But the Japanese I. nils are very well-behaved and have HUGE blooms. The only down side is that they usually wilt by noon (hence their name "morning" glories! lol) They will grow up just about anything your provide for them. The Japanese use string and nets to shade entire sides of buildings and it looks amazing! The I. nil species don't get overly invasive in growth and don't usually come back as volunteers since the seeds don't survive in freezing temps. They thrive best in the heat of summer as they prefer the longer days of sun and the heat of summer months. The majority of MGs are annuals, though there are some perennial vines as well. The Japanese cultivars like rich and fertile soil and like to be keep watered regularly in well-drained soil. So in other words, they do like a bit of royal treatment, which is why I grow them in pots. They are very easy to grow in ideal conditions. They are my favorite plant family out of all the plants I grow. And color combos on the blooms are infinite. New ones are created every year by Japanese and American gardeners. I just love them! (Can you tell? LOL!) I use 3 poles in each 5 gallon pot to form a teepee for them to climb. Usually 6' poles that I shove right down inside the pots. When the vines reach the top of the poles, I just wrap them around and around. They are gorgeous in bloom!