Temporary Vines for Quickest Results— By William c. McCollom, 



EASILY GROWN DOUBLE PURPOSE PLANTS THAT WILL FURNISH SCREENS ABOUT A NEW 

 HOME AND ALSO GIVE PLENTY OF FLOWERS FOR CUTTING FROM JUNE UNTIL FROST 



Long 

 Island 



ANNUAL vines are sought by many 

 people because they are very little 

 trouble to grow, requiring neither pruning 

 nor mulching; give quick results; and can 

 be utilized to produce good effects while 

 the permanent vines are developing. They 

 are in great favor for frame buildings, where 

 frequent painting is necessary, and where a 

 woody vine would have to be removed and 

 put back later. Again, if a large display of 

 flowers is sought, the annual vines surpass, 

 because most annual-flowering vines start 

 blooming during June or July and continue 

 to flower until cut down by frost, whereas 

 woody vines have a short flowering season 

 which cannot be prolonged to any great 

 extent. On the other hand, the annual 

 vines cannot be expected to grow to the great 

 height which hardy, perennial vines, like 

 the ivy or wistaria will attain. 



By annual vines in this connection I mean 

 vines that endure outdoors but one year and 

 so must be started from seed each season. 

 Some tender perennial vines (which may be 

 hardy in the South, but which will not stand 

 our Northern winters) are included, because 

 they give the best results in this latitude 

 when treated as annuals. 



The most popular of all annual vines is the 

 common morning glory (Ipomcea purpurea) 

 because it requires little or no attention other 

 than the sowing of the seed. It will grow 

 surprisingly under uncongenial conditions, 

 but for the best results it should have a sunny 

 location, a deep, heavy soil, and abundance 

 of water. 



If seed is sown outdoors about the middle 

 of April, the vines will start to flower 

 toward the end of July, but if sown in the 

 greenhouse or frame about the middle of 

 March, the plants kept potted on as they grow 

 and planted out about May ist, the flowers 

 may be had about one month earlier. 



Before sowing the seed, break the hard 

 skin by making a small notch with a file, 

 or soak the seeds in warm water for twenty- 

 four hours. Either course will greatly 

 hasten germination. I prefer notching to 

 soaking in water. 



There are numerous varieties of the morn- 

 ing glories and the colors range through the 

 various shades of blue, purple, pink, white, 

 crimson, scarlet, and variegated. The flowers 

 are funnel-shaped and are about three inches 

 across. The plant is a twiner and clings well 

 to almost any kind of a support, provided 

 it is not too big in circumference, for, as with 

 all twining vines, it must be able to entirely 

 encircle a support before it can ascend. A 

 circumference of five inches should not be 

 exceeded for any annual vine that twines. 

 According to the conditions governing their 

 growth, they will attain a height of from six 

 to ten feet. 



The Japanese, by their consistent efforts, 

 have improved one type of the morning glory 



variously referred to as Japanese, Em- 

 peror, and Imperial to such an extent that it 

 is now considered to be the best of this large 

 family, when the beauty of the individual 

 flower is looked at. The Japanese morning 

 glories (Ipomcea hederacea) differ from the 

 common morning glory in that the foliage 

 is deeply lobed instead of heart-shaped, 

 the flowers are larger and the colors more 

 diversified and brighter; the growth is little 

 more dwarf and the plant branches more 

 freely. There is one good reason why this 

 plant is not as popular as the common morn- 

 ing glory — poor seeds. It is hard to get a 

 good strain of the Japanese morning glory, 

 but once you get a good strain of this selec- 

 tion, you will be immensely pleased with 

 it, and the best way to keep it is to save 



The direction of the "twist" is constant for each 

 genus and the plant cannot climb in the opposite way. 

 Morning glory to the left; the hop to the right 



your own seed each season. The vine re- 

 quires the same treatment as the common 

 morning glory. 



A similar plant is seen in /. rubro-carulea 

 which was brought into prominence in Cali- 

 fornia by the introduction of the variety 

 Heavenly Blue. It grows to twice the height 

 of this common morning glory (or twenty 

 feet). The flower is red before expanding, 

 but becomes finally a clear blue, sometimes 

 splashed with red. The plant is much 

 branched and is among the most serviceable 

 of the annual vines for screens, as it grows 

 very rapidly. If grown for its flowers, it 

 should be treated as a greenhouse plant. 



For the busy suburbanite who is away from 

 his home during the day, and whose only 

 moments of gardening are in the very early 

 morning or the evening, I recommend the 

 moonflower (Ipomcea Bona-Nox). The 

 great, saucer-like, white blossoms are pro- 

 duced in clusters, the flowers are six inches 

 across, and they open in the evening and 

 stay open all night or until the direct sun- 

 light strikes them. They are quite fragrant, 

 and there is something about the plant that 

 appeals strongly to most people who see it. 

 I feel sure that if it was better known it 

 would be more popular. This also demands 

 the same general treatment as the morning 

 glory. 



The east or west sides of a building are the 

 best exposures for the moonflower, because if 

 the plant is on the east side the flowers 

 will open early in the afternoon; if on 

 the west side, the flowers will stay open 

 till noon. Have one vine on each side and 

 you can have the moonflowers all day; but 

 don't plant on the north side as it is shaded 

 too much. 



The seed of the moonflower must be cut 

 or filed as without this help fully fifty per cent. 

 will fail to sprout. For best results, start 

 the plants in a greenhouse during March. 

 Some florists raise them in large numbers and 

 the plants may often be bought quite cheaply. 

 Under favorable conditions, the moonflower 

 vine will grow to a height of twenty feet, and 

 as it grows rapidly making a dense mass of 

 its lobed foliage it is an excellent screen vine. 



All the ipomceas are twiners, are at home 

 on fences of all kinds and they will also 

 ascend strings; any ordinary trellis will 

 answer the purpose as a support. 



As an annual vine for cut flowers, the 

 sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) stands out 

 preeminently. 



There are many varieties of sweet 

 peas, and although at a cursory glance some 

 may seem to be duplicated of others, you 

 will find slight differences on close inspection. 

 There is no necessity to grow all the varieties 

 the seedsmen offer, but make a selection of 

 all named varieties, growing as many as you 

 can the first season, and always use labels to 

 mark the name of the variety, then select 



