Bloomin' Moon

We moved a little late in the season, so I didn't want to start a garden. But I did want to grow something fun. So I chose the Moonvine, because of the name and also because of its rapid growth rate.

Below: 24 hours later after sitting between layers of wet napkin. Fast!

 I put the sprouts in cups and covered them like mini greenhouses. They took just a week to get this big.

This is two weeks later. Transplanted and already climbing. Quick!

 And then the trouble started. I noticed more and more of my leaves were beginning to look like this. So I started examining the plants carefully and found...

at least NINE of these, commonly called the tomato hornworm. (Er, excuse me sir, you have the wrong address. The tomato plant is five feet due west.) Had I left them for another day, I'll bet ALL my leaves would have been gone. Click here for other cool images of the adults online. (They get huge!)

But alas. That was not all of this Moonvine's woe's. You've heard we had some record breaking heat streaks here. Well, it's true. I couldn't keep the plant's roots cool enough so ALL the leaves were growing deformed and puckered. In the photo on the right, you can see exactly how it behaved and grew while it was hot--and also when the weather started cooling off.

And now, my pretties...this is what it looks like. And at last, I have buds!

It is called a Moonvine because the flowers bloom when the sun goes down. They are bright white, and soft. The scent is wonderfully strong. Each blossom lasts only ONE night. So look quick! Oh and the flowers open within minutes. I haven't been lucky enough to catch one, so click here for someone else's video (scroll to about 30 seconds in.)

What do you think? Fun enough...for a plant?