My ivy leafed small light blue morning glories bloomed first and got to about four foot tall. The Early morning, or tall mix got tallest at about ten foot and bloomed much later. Because they needed to be sown after frost I didn't see a lot of difference between my direct sown and winter sown. I didn't use the best soil though and my drainage was bad. This year I'm doing more and will be direct sowing for ease of planting out.

Mike now I envy YOU! I have a variegated maroon looking MG and I have only found ONE seed pod! I think they do not produce any :-( But yes...next year your fence will be covered by all the seeds that start growing from the ground up lol VERY PRETTY Lucy

I've grown morning glories for years. I've found that on the Gulf Coast, the afternoon sun makes them wilt. I'd say that morning sun would be a better choice. If they don't get enough sun, they won't want to bloom. As far as watering goes, not too little or too much. I usually soak the seed overnight before soaking. I also scratch the surface with an Exacto knife (and try not to cut myself) Hope this helps. Here is a link that might be useful: Deborah's Garden

I only have experience with Heavenly Blue MG's and they did not do well in a pot. They did indeed insist on climbing and then I think they just ran out of root space because they suddenly stopped growing and flowering.