Trellis + vine or water feature?

[Rajah]

I've just gone garden crazy this year, it's insane! (Or I'm insane. Or both )

Anyway, now I've gotten the bug for either a climbing flower on a pretty trellis with a different low greenery (hosta maybe?) around the edge of the container that has the climbing flower, or a small container water-garden. What I really want is a nice little water-feature with moving water that isn't too noisy but is a peaceful fountainy sound when I'm outside playing with my flowers. But then I really like the trellis' with climbing flowers, too. Of course finding one that will grow well and climb in morning sun, partial-shade the rest of the day is proving difficult. I'm thinking of trying a moonflower if I can find one.

What do y'all think?

 

[Snowwark]

Hi Rajah!

Wow, tough choices, how about doing them both? There are so many different size water features and trellis's available, for all sizes of yards and decks.

A trellis with a container bottom would be great for a moonflower with other small plants at it's base. Moonflowers open in the late afternoon and evening and smell so divine you'll want to have it near wherever you sit out in the evening. I have actually stuck my nose right into them...they are so glorious...lol!

We have a small water feature, an overflowing pot thingy with a climbing rose on the fence behind it. Not knowing how your yard is set up makes it difficult to recommend any particular type, but they really do make a wonderful addition to any backyard, very soothing.

I hope another bud can come up with some more ideas for you!

Let us know what you decide!

Kim

 

[Rajah]

Well, DH has said he votes for the trellis. But since it's not *his* garden....

I'm limited to what can fit on my back porch, Kim. I'm in an apartment with no yard, so rather limited space. Our back porch is covered (we're 2nd floor out of 3 floors) and faces east, so we get mostly morning sun, flowers right on the edge get a little sun around noon-ish, and by mid-afternoon or early evening, it's all indirect light. I'd say partial shade. I'm in zone 9.

I keep coming back to either morning glories or moonflower, but since morning glories close by mid-morning and I'm most definitely a night person, the moonflower is probably more my speed

I think I'm going to try the trellis first, but I may change my mind if I can't find a good climber to plant.

 

[Snowwark]

I'm not sure you're going to get enough sun for Moonflowers Rajah. Check out this link and see what you think.

Morning Glories and Moonflowers

I hope it helps!

 

[Rajah]

When I counted it out, I estimate that those plants near the edge of the balcony get about 5-7 hours of pretty much direct light a day. More than I expected, but I'd never really thought about it before. I need to actually *watch* next time I'm home through the day and see when the sun is no longer direct.

Oh, I found something I W-A-N-T for a water garden... did you know there are water iris??

I think I'm just going to have to break down and do both a water garden and a trellis

Now the big question.... Survivor tonight, or garden center....

 

[amid chaos]

rajah...I am doing moon flowers and morning glories...they compliment each other well. I am attempting a new trellis type thingy around my deck. I used poles and netting found at the garden center.

 

[Rajah]

Well, I picked up some morning glories and moonflowers this evening. The garden center won out over Survivor The only problem (???) is that the only type they had was seed. Well, it claims it grows from seed in 7-14 days, so we'll see.... I'm trying my first ahnd at planting flowers by seed, or at least first in a LONG time.

 

[Rajah]

You know, I may be wrong about how much sun my porch gets. I looked at the tag on the bluebonnets this evening... it says full sun. My bluebonnets are doing the best and they're right at the rail. I think I may get close to full sun right along the railing of my porch, and then about half-way back (where my impatiens and begonia are doing so well) is partial sun. So maybe I have enough for the morning glories and moonflower to actually grow!

I'm afraid I'm going to have the wrong soil, though. The only garden soil (or at least only garden soil I could lift! ) I found at Lowe's was miracle grow garden soil. And it looks essentially like the potting soil I used in my container with the impatiens and salvia. Is that going to be the wrong soil, or too rich so I'm not going to get flowers?

 

[Rajah]

I planted my morning glory seeds and moonflower seeds this morning... wish me luck...

I also checked where the sun is coming from and I did indeed place the planter at the point where it will get the most sun on the porch. Hopefully it'll work!

 

[TigerBear]

Sounds like a lot of fun Rajah. I have never planted from seeds before. Good luck to you!

 

[Saffron]

Rajah - You sound like you are having a great time! I am going to love "watching" your flowers grow over the summer! Good luck to you! The trellis and water garden both sound like great projects.