LOVIN' ON MORNING GLORIES

It isn't politic, I realize, to love morning glories. In fact, two years ago, if you'd told me I was going to turn into a morning glory fan, I'd probably have laughed myself into a prone and helpless position.

That was before Grandp Ott. You're wondering who the heck Grandpa Ott is, aren't you? Well, apparently, he's the guy who walked out into his yard and discovered a gorgeous purple morning glory with a lovely pink center:


It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I watched a friend plant those first Grandpa Ott seeds at the base of the rose arbor, some years ago. She promised me it wasn't invasive, and sure enough, not only was it not invasive, it barely grew. But it sure did have a beautiful flower.

It grew and bloomed exactly once.

Then, year before last, I noticed a little vine over by the clematis. One of those garden miracles had occurred: twenty feet at least from where the seeds had been planted, and a good three years since I'd seen it last, there was another lovely little Grandpa Ott. The vine stayed small that year, and the next.

Last week, I looked out the kitchen window, and saw the top of the clematis arbor awash in a wave of purple:


I'll have to confess, I can't seem to get a really good shot of these. My camera refuses to "see" them as anything but navy blue, and I get the purple into them only by virtue of knowing how to monkey with the color in PhotoShop.

After Grandpa Ott, it was only a matter of time before it occurred to me morning glories might come in other colors than white or purple.

Look what I found!


That's a Japanese Morning Glory assortment. I found the photo, with seeds for sale, at Onalee's.

Further exploration brought me to Hirt's Gardens and this Picotee Blue:


Never again will I think of Morning Glories as only a vegetable snake in the grass, and next year...who knows where the glory will shine?