Where have all the 'Heavenly Blues' gone?

Each year I plant morning glory seeds at the posts of our split-rail fence in the front yard. The seeds never disappoint with the green vines covering the posts in less than two months.

This year, even though I planted the same "Heavenly Blue" variety, the vines are not producing flowers. Compare last year's vines with this year's.

One theory is that the heavy rains knocked off the tender blooms. Our neighbor said that is what happened to his apple trees. As I continually remind myself, Ma Nature only gives what she wants.

An afternoon for morning glory

Last year I started our morning glory vines in a cold frame and then transferred them to their appropriate spots. They did well. This afternoon I just dropped a few seeds in the ground (after soaking overnight) and wished them good luck. The accompanying photo is one of last year's vines.

The morning glory vine is a solid bet to cover fences, bird-feeder posts and almost anything upright for the summer. The vines will grow up to 10-feet tall if they have something to support them. They are annuals, of course, so I'll be hauling off several hundred pounds of vines this fall.

We always use the "Heavenly Blue" variety because it matches the trim of our house.