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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



February, 1907 



The Japanese Morning Glory 



By Ida D. Bennett 



WITH most varieties of plants, the Japan- 

 ese are much given to the growing of the 

 morning glory in pots, and there are certain 

 dwarf forms that are only suitable for this 

 form of culture. Most of the named varie- 

 ties have also a dwarf form, or are rendered 

 dwarf by certain methods of culture. 

 The plants may be readily dwarfed by planting in shallow 

 seed flats and growing on until they bud, which will be in four 

 or five weeks, and when thus forced they do not regain their 

 normal stature when planted out in the open ground or in 

 pots, but continue to bloom while remaining but a few inches 

 in height. I know of nothing that equals the little dwarfed 

 morning glories in precocity, except the little Multiflora roses 

 which we bring into full bloom from the seed in seven weeks. 



The Aurata, as its name indicates, has golden foliage which 

 harmonizes exquisitely vt^ith flowers of blue, of steel-gray, 

 and gray bordered with white, feathered down on the ground 

 of the gray more than appears in flowers of other colors. 

 There is a great diversity in the shape and coloring of the 

 foliage of the different varieties, one variety showing a long, 

 narrow, curiously crumpled leaf, with heavy stems covered 

 with reddish hairs, others showing enormous leaves splashed 

 with gray and white, looking much as though whitewash had 

 been spilled upon them from above; these variegated varieties 

 would be very ornamental even without the flowers. 



Antigone belongs to this ornamental variety; the leaves are 

 medium-sized, but beautifully mottled with gray and white, 

 and showing large china-blue flowers of a wonderful purity 

 of color. 



Aglaja, another variegated-leaved variety, shows flowers 

 of white splashed and speckled with blue, with an occasional 

 speck of crimson, the throat showing a tendency to cream 

 color. 



Adonis, one of the largest variegated-leaved varieties, 

 shows immense flowers, more or less flared and ruflled on the 

 edges, of white splashed and speckled with crimson — a very 

 lovely flower. 



Most varieties of the morning glory show several shades or 

 variations of the same color, as Asteria, which gives several 

 shades of red or smoke color, the latter a very no\ el and 

 striking color quite unique in flowers. 



The best of the red shades is a deep velvety crimson, quite 

 unlike anything one is accustomed to associate with morning 

 glories, but we are talking of Japan, the country of necro- 

 mancy and the things thereof, and shall we be surprised? 



One of the finest of all morning glories is the pure white 

 Thalia. This is really magnificent. The plant is of very 

 vigorous growth, easily covering sixty square feet of netting 

 by midsummer and bearing its great, white blossoms in clus- 

 ters of five or more. Like all Japanese morning glories it 

 blossoms from the ground up, and its blossoms range from 

 immense lily-like trumpets to frilled and Japanesque effects 

 that are fairly ravishing. 



One of the more ordinary forms of Japanese morning 

 glories, and one more apt to be found in the ordinary mixture 

 of seeds, is Euphrosyne, an immense flower of a fine red bor- 

 dered with a broad band of white. This variety also gives 

 some plain reds with an occasional frilled effect. 



Collata, a fine dark blue, shows also the white border and 

 white speckled with blue. 



The culture of the Japanese morning glory, to produce the 

 best results, should be high. Seed should be started early in 

 the house or hotbeds, and the plants removed to the open 

 ground when all danger of frost is passed and the nights are 

 warm. Few, if any, vines will do much until the ground and 

 nights are warm, and a setback at the beginning means in- 

 ferior results all summer. Before sowing the seed, either in 

 the house, hotbed, or open ground, they should be soaked in 

 hot water for several hours, or until the seeds are swollen and 

 cracked. I often defer sowing seeds until they are actually 

 sprouted, in this way insuring the germination of the seed, 

 and knowing just how far apart they will be needed. 



Very rich mellow soil is required for the Japanese morning 

 glory, and an abundance of water. The Japanese water these 

 plants twice or three times a day, and it is safe to say that 

 too much can hardly be given; certain it is that they should 

 never be allowed to dry out. The value of an abundant water 

 supply may be readily demonstrated by letting them dry out 

 for a few days, when the blossoms will be seen to greatly de- 

 crease in size; then, if a very thorough watering be given, the 

 flowers, on the following day, will be found to have nearly 

 doubled in size. Where there is a water system good results 

 may be obtained by running a pipe or hose into the bed, and 

 letting a small stream trickle continuously through it. 



Liquid manure should be given once a week after the 

 blooming season commences, but not before, and as the Jap- 

 anese morning glory branches freely from the base of the 

 plant, it will be necessary to prune back a portion of this 

 growth so as to restrict it and induce more flowers. 



The Japanese morning glory requires many times the wall 

 space the common morning glory does and should be planted 

 for best results not more than five feet apart, or rather near; 

 they also require height as well as breadth of space, and unless 

 this is provided the results will not be satisfactory, as, when 

 they have reached the top of the low trellis or building, the 

 tops will droop down over the lower growth and hide it, and, 

 as the plants blossom from the base up, most of the bloom 

 will be obscured. 



The best location for the morning glory is on the west side 

 of a building, the next best the north. Planted on the east 

 or south of a structure, the early morning sun will close the 

 blossoms before one has a chance to enjoy their beauties, unless 

 they form the habit of early rising to worship at the morning 

 glory's shrine. Planted on the west and north they will re- 

 main in full beauty the greater part of the forenoon and 

 often all day. In any event, when successfully grown the 

 Japanese morning glory gives many pleasures. 



