More Morning Glory questions and general viney things questions ;-) I'm in Zone 8a - North Texas, Clay soil. This is my first year trying vines and like all things garden I went full blast. I planted Grandpa Ott MG's first in starter trays - I know the authoritative sources (one web article mercilessly copied and pasted 100 times) all say they don't transplant well but I guess they can't read very well as they are growing like mad. I have several other varieties that I just stuck in the dirt and they are coming up just fine so looking forward to lots of vines soon. I've planted: Morning Glories Moonflower (2 seeds, I soaked them as advised and they appeared to have 'blown up' so I don't know if they will still germinate but only planted a couple days ago. Cardinal Climbers Cypress Vine Cup and Saucer (neat neat neat growth habit) Hyacinth Bean Vine So I am starting to get my first flowers on the grandpa Ott's. One five days ago, 3 the next, 20-30 blooms this morning. BEAUTIFUL. The other stuff is just starting to climb but the MG's 'eat' another 6"of string daily. I have some of each in pots, along a fence, along brick wall and climbing up from hanging baskets on my patio. Questions: 1. I've read that MG's will grow in any soil and that they don't need much fertilizer (too much Nitrogen means lots of vine and leaves and few flowers). They seem to be growing REALLLLY nicely though and flowering just fine after I mulched with a few inches of a pretty rich compost (2/3 finished, aged, homemade compost and 1/3 "moo-Nure" from home Depot which is a little hot out of the bag if used straight. Any of you longtime MG growers care to comment on whether MG's really LIKE crappy soil or if they TOLERATE crappy soil and like everything else do much better in good soil? 2. I found this thread while looking for info on how to get them to spread - it seems like some are throwing off secondary growth tips so I am wondering what is typical??? If I can get them to spread sideways I won't plant as many/close. Using string for support but after reading the above stuff I realized I have poly bird netting in the garage that would be easy to pop up with a few staples. Narrowing the question - right now the vines are mostly one growing tip racing for the sky - will they start throwing off more growing tips I can angle off to the side then up to fill in the gaps? Looking to cover the fence. When they get to the top will they grow back down (trailing)??? 3. On those moonflower seeds, I soaked them overnight and they were swollen and split - still viable or did I blow them up? 4. Anyone else have tips chewed off and do new growing tips emerge pretty fast? Turns out we have roof rats that run along the fence rails and it must be them but boy was I pissed. That 'path' is now spiked with nice sharp nails but rats are resourceful - anyone try hot pepper spray or anything that doesn't bother vines but makes rats unhappy? 5. I have several vines growing out of hanging baskets and they ran straight to the top of our pagoda over the patio... will they spread along the roof or does growth stop when they can't climb? Some of each vine here - MG, Hyacinth, cypress, cardinal climber and cup/saucer. Tips, advice, lessons learned appreciated. Right now I am feeding and watering frequently - don't mind if I get a lot of foliage and few blooms until the patio and fence get covered. Appreciate any advice of the "well if you want vines to go entirely little shop of horrors on you then just...." sort.

Bigred, Hello! I am not new to GW, but haven't been able to trade seeds in a couple of years. I would very much like to get back into sowing seeds. I plan on mainly xeriscape plants, as I am in TX and it gets so hot here! If you have these seeds available, I would be very greatful to send you the SASBE for them. Allium,purple drumstick,H,'06(1)easy from seed.** Callirhoe involucrata,winecups,rock garden,H,7/17/07** Coreopsis"Sunburst",C,'06 ** Dianthus deltoides"Flashing Lights"tight,spreading mats of tiny dark green leaves w/ tiny brilliant pink flowers on long stems,early spring, rock garden,H,5/07** Echinacea"Doppleganger"H,9/06 ** Ipomopsis rubra,Standing Cypress,hummingbird plant,H,7/07** Pardancanda norrisii,Candylily mix of red w/spots and yellow/orange w/red edges,H,'06** Penstemon tenuis,Gulfcoast Beardtongue,H,718/07 ** Scutellaira incana,Hoary Skullcap,H,'05(5) ** My email address is earthtiller@sbcglobal.net Thank you! Necia

Monday's germination columbine songbird robin, 1 container columbine winky, 1 container columbine origami yellow, 1 container leopard lily, 1 container scabiosa ebony, 1 container texas red star hibiscus, 1 container daylily rocket 1 container sunflower ring of fire, 1 container Tuesday's germination balsam impatiens tom thumb, 1 container cleome white, 1 container morning glory blue silk, 1 container cucumber burpee pickler, 2 containers cucumber straight light, 2 containers sunflower autumn beauty, 1 container sunflower solar eclipse, 1 container tomato larger cherry red, 1 container tomato hawaiian pineapple, 1 container tomato white wonder, 1 container Fran

I've decided some of my daylilies' colors just aren't working for my garden color schemes. I could bring two Klehm daylilies if someone is interested. 'Smooth Vanilla Pastel' and 'Afternoon Tea Time.' Pictures are here http://www.songsparrow.com/2006new/plantdetails.cfm?ID=566&type=Daylilies&pagetype=plantdetails and here http://www.songsparrow.com/2006new/plantdetails.cfm?ID=485&type=Daylilies&pagetype=plantdetails However, the pictures (at least on my screen) are not perfect. I'd say Smooth Vanilla Pastel is really a creamy daylily with a strong chartreuse/green throat. And Afternoon Tea Time is essentially sherbet orange. They are nice, healthy plants in great condition, and they have spent the last year in my garden, enjoying a good compost-enriched soil. My yard has no daylily rust, and these plants seem free of it as well. If those would be good in your garden, let me know! At this point, I am looking for healthy shade shrubs for my back yard -- viburnums, pretty azaleas, hydrangeas, or things that can take DRY shade would be great, and a few shade perennials -- possibly asarums, carex, hakone grass -- or ...? Thanks, Julia