The colorful, trumpet-shaped blooms of the morning glory are annual favorites that do a fantastic job of hiding those less-than-perfect spots in your garden with their ornamental charm. To really see this Mexican native show off, you’ll want to make sure she’s growing in just the right spot.
Warmth & Light: What Morning Glories Love Most
Originally hailing from Mexico, this climbing vine comes in a huge variety of cultivars and color hybrids. Because of their Central American roots, these plants handle high temperatures and a bit of drought like pros. That’s why the perfect spot in your own backyard should be bright, sunny, and warm.
In their home away from home, morning glories are happiest when tucked into a spot protected from the wind. Ideally, the vines should be bathed in light, while the roots of this climbing beauty enjoy a little bit of shade. When it’s time to plant your morning glories, always go for lime-rich soil—they really can’t stand acidic dirt and will let you know by wilting their leaves.
Pro Tip: Morning glories are pretty sensitive to cold and standing water around their delicate roots. If you can provide a little overhead cover, you’ll protect your climber from getting waterlogged and keep those gorgeous blooms from getting knocked off by heavy rain.
Give ‘Em a Hand (and a Trellis!)
If you’re looking to green up a wall, garden fence, or trellis with those decorative trumpet flowers, you can get a head start at the beginning of the year by starting your seeds indoors.
Once late May rolls around, you can move them outside. During their growing phase, they’ll start reaching out with long, thin shoots. Besides tree trunks, morning glories love using trellises to support their upward journey. If you’re growing them on a balcony, things like netting or bamboo stakes work wonders.
Sowing in the Right Spot
You can sow your seeds directly outdoors between April and May. Alternatively, you can start young plants on a windowsill where temperatures stay between 65° and 70°F (18°–21°C). In my experience, these pre-started plants usually bloom a bit earlier than the ones sown directly in the garden bed.
The choice is yours: do you want your garden decked out in colorful blooms by early summer, or are you aiming for a mid-to-late summer show? Either way, these annual dream-vines are an easy, fuss-free way to beautify any corner of your green oasis.
