Trumpeting their arrival in a shimmering range of vibrant colour, the morning glory, or Ipomoea purpurea, growing wonderfully on an obelisk placed in a summer border, wall trellis or large patio pot. There’s still time to get them growing from seed, so that young plants can be hardened off and planted out at the end of May.
They perform best in a sunny, sheltered spot, where they can be kept moist and well fed to reward you with a cavalcade of trumpet-shaped blooms in a wide range of colours, from red through blue to pink and white, on a twining 1.8-2.5m (6-8ft) vine clothed with heart-shaped leaves. Some are multi-coloured with contrasting flashes or streaking and marbling on the petals.
As their name implies blooms open early in the morning, lasting just a day, but a succession of flowers from July keeps the display fuelled for months. In colder climes they're easily grown in a cold greenhouse or conservatory, but keep a watch out for red-spider mite and greenfly which can cause problems.
Keep plants watered and fed with high-potash fertiliser, while pinching out growing tips at the two to three leaf stage will make bushier plants. Twining shoots need support from canes or a framework once they grow away.
Carnivale di Veneza
Let the show begin with this variety with dazzling blue and pink striped blooms, each one slightly different from each other.
Buy online or tel: 0333 400 0033
Crimson Rambler
Eye-catching variety with large, intense red blooms with contrasting white eye. Use where a bold statement is required!
Buy online or tel: 0844 326 2200
Decapo Light Blue
The elegant bicoloured blue blooms of this lovely variety make it ideal for combining with stronger pastel tones for dramatic contrasts.
Buy online or tel: 0844 326 2200
Party Dress
Earlier flowering, this large-blossomed variety in a vibrant shade of pink with red flash will bring dazzling brilliance to a sunny spot.
Buy online or tel: 0333 777 3936
Step by step: twine your way to success
- Chip and soak seeds in warm water for a day before sowing in trays at a temperature of 65-69F (18-21C).
- At first leaf stage prick out seedlings into individual 7.5cm (31/2in) pots. Stake when main shoot elongates.
- Plant out in late May after hardening off. Grow on a tepee of canes or on a framework. Keep watered and fed.