Sunsmile Pink

I've heard the Sunsmile's are dwarfs and they don't climb very much, is this true? Would they do well in a hanging basket or would it just turn into a twining mess?

Thanks for any help,
Steven

Hi Steven,

Yes, they are Dwarfs and are a 'Creeping-Type' Morning Glories.
The SunSmile series has Variegated Leaves.
There are a few other varieties as well, most of those do not have variegated leaves.
They will do very well in hanging baskets.

Emma

Hi Emma, Thanks for your reply :D
I've never grown creeping Morning Glories before, how exciting!
Could I also plant them as a ground cover?

Thanks,
Steven

This is my sunsmile that was pink. The leaves were pretty all by themselves.

Thanks for the photo Gardener2005 :) Thats very pretty and the leaves are very handsome, there doesn't seem to be many photos of it on the internet.

Steven

This message was edited Feb 24, 2007 4:42 PM

Your welcome!

Hey Steven,

Yes, you can plant these as a ground cover. In fact, they look nice mass-planted.
They will creep around 3' to 5'.

Karen, Pretty Photo of your Pink SS.

Emma

Thanks again Emma, you've been most helpful :)

I'm hoping to get a number of different types this year.
I've already started a Heavenly Blue to get some early blooms indoors and just today I'm starting SS Pink. It's fun to try them indoors.

Steven

You are welcome, Steven....

We will look forward to you posting your beauties to share with us.

Emma

Hey Steven,

Sounds like you are getting geared up for a full season! You will enjoy your Sunsmile pinks.

Here are a few pictures of mine from last year, including some pictures of the cotyledons as they emerge from the ground: http://davesgarden.com/journal/j/viewentry/105711/

Arlan

Those are some very nice pictures Arlan. Your plants looked very healthy! If you want, could you add them to the Plantfiles? http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/152079/index.html The entry is empty :)

Emma, I'll be sure to post photos!

Steven

Thanks, Steven. I've got many pictures that I probably should submit. I wish I could just transfer them from my journal to the Plantfiles. that would be so much easier!

Arlan

I agree, The other day I uploaded a bunch of photos and after a while it gets a little monotonous :)
I really should start my own journal.....I think it has about 1 entry in it now.....

Steven

I've used the journal as a tool to organize my photos etc. of the various plants I grow. I'll be expanding it even more this year as my projects get more complex. It has the added advantage of giving me remote access and allowing me to "work" on my garden projects in the evening while I'm away from home on business....which is way too much!

Arlan

I was looking at some of your other Morning Glory photos and I found this one http://davesgarden.com/journal/j/si/109585/ I think it's one of the most stunning photo's I've ever seen!
Would you mind if I printed it off? I would love to frame it.
I'll be sure to check you journal again, you take good pics!

Steve

Thanks for your nice comments, Steve. Feel free to print it for your own use! They are there for my reference and the enjoyment of all. I've really enjoyed my digital camera, and am looking forward to the flowers of the new growing season! I have learned so much about my flowers, plants and their visitors by looking at the details of the photos! As hard as I try, I often just can not see the details to that extent in real life....maybe my age taking its tole!

Arlan

I know just what you mean, I often feel that small flowers and plants are overlooked and that is one of the reasons I love my digital camera. I can use the macro and take a close-up image of a small un-noticed bloom and suddenly it becomes a work of art for all to see.
It was late in the season last year when I got my camera so this year there's going to be lots of un-photographed plants.

Steven

Two years ago I found a few of these at a back roads private greenhouse...he sold plants to buy his beer if you can imagine...anyways, I put them in the front bed and they creeped and bloomed around everybody. They were soooo pretty, I have not seen them since, but I would do it again in a second.

3Gardeners,
That's pretty funny about the guy selling plants to buy beer :)
I've been thinking of maybe putting them in a large pot we always put on our patio with a couple Angel Wings miniture roses and something else. What do you think?

Steven

well...they did climb a bit, twined around some poppies I had in there....if you don't mind a bit of maintenance, like pushing them away from the roses if they start to climb em, at the start, then I think it would look really nice. They would kind of hang down and make the roses stand out well. Depending upon where your patio is and how much sun it gets. They are a morning glory though, so they do close when the sun hits them which might cancel out the effect. Mine were on the ground between taller plants so they were shaded most of the day......

No, I wouldn't mind pushing them off the roses. I have a habit of doing things like that, I'm just not content with my garden unless I'm messing with it. LOL
I'll have to find a nice companion plant as well to provide all summer blooms in case the roses have a slow period.
This years container must look better then last year. Last I planted dwarf balsam around a banana....it was horrible. The banana shaded everthing and the balsam flowered once and went to seed and dried up.
Did the foliage on your Sunsmiles stay fairly 'fresh' looking during the summer? Just curious.
I want to avoid another disaster :)

Steven

yep, the foliage stayed nice all summer......I run a fry truck, and have two half whiskey barrels in front of it, last summer I put a big clump of feverfew in the middle, it blooms all summer for me here, and put really dark purple and red petunias around it...what a stunning effect it was!!!!

That sounds very nice, and I already Winter Sowed a bunch of feverfew! Did you deadhead yours to keep it blooming? I didn't last year and it went to seed.....I also have seed for 'Fantasy' petunias....This could work out really good.
What about purple cordylines? They'd just be babies if I started them early, but they might add a nice grassy effect... http://www.seedsandmore-store.com/catalog.php?ref=seedsandmore&dt=391&pd=9610&or=865137
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/2160/

yes, I deadheaded them and they just kept on going. I love them, I have them everywhere I can find a space for them, and when I find a new perennial that I need a spot for, I don't mind just ripping them out. They are a nice temporary filler...them and johnny jump-ups.
The cordyline would be a nice centerpiece, and you could put the feverfew around it...the white would make the purple jump right out., even the petunias would be nice..or alternate a feverfew with a petunia...WOW.....

Ooo, this is going to look really good, I just drew up this little plan. Hehehe :)
I gave the cordylines small spots since they just sort of grow between everything else.
Should have said the before, but the pot gets full morning and early afternoon sun and is in shade by late afternoon.

Steven

coool......how big is your pot? for the whiskey barrel I just had the one feverfew clump and 6 petunias.......and it was overflowing by mid summer.....but..you said you don't mind playing with things to keep em in check, so it should be very pretty...don't forget to take pics..I always forget...

I think the pot is around 30"...somewhere in there. We got it at Sams Club, it's a nice dark grey colour.
Here, I just remembered seeing this thread last year, it's the same pot we have http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/601735/ I'll try to remember to take pics, I sometimes forget too...
If you scroll down that thread, you can see mine from last year too.