By BECKY LIVERMORE, Master Gardener
The first annual vines in the ground at our place are sweet peas –— Lathyrus odoratur. During a well-organized spring, I start them indoors in pots. Otherwise, the seeds get a 12-hour soaking before planting time. This technique works with other large seeds: beans, nasturtiums and squash. Don’t let them sit endlessly in water, as seeds eventually need oxygen.
The key to getting sweet peas off to a good start is deeply digging the soil and adding well-rotted manure or compost. They like cool soil, but germinate faster when the weather warms a bit. Sweet peas need sunshine and cool feet. This means adding mulch once weather warms, or planting them behind a shelter of bush beans or other crop that lasts throughout summer’s heat. Sweet peas will quickly dry up without regular watering. Provide a wire fence, strings or trellis that reaches 6 feet and they’ll happily entwine their tendrils and scamper upwards.
Pole beans are always in my garden because they’re easy to pick and produce heavily once they get started. All they need is a teepee made of six 7-foot tall straight branches, leaves removed, tied together at the top and stuck several inches into the ground. Pole beans will twist their way up without any other support. Harvest beans before they get large and tough. My favorites are the purple beans, as they can’t hide easily. What a pity they turn green when cooked!
Scarlet Runner beans, Phaseolus coccineus, sound like beans in a hurry to get somewhere. In a sense, this is true. They quickly grow to cover a trellis or fence, and form a dramatic backdrop for other flowers. I’ll let you in on a secret. Not only are they delightful to look at with their striking orange blossoms against lush green foliage, but also the young pods are tasty and tender. The flowers are edible as well and add a dash of color to salads, stir-fries and appetizer trays. Beans grow well in our area in full sun, in soil with high organic matter and plenty of nitrogen. Keep soil moist during germination.
If you aren’t acquainted with the mandevilla vine, it’s time for an introduction. Grown perennially in South America, this gorgeous vine is an annual in our climate. Also known as Chilean jasmine, mandevilla is a vigorous climber in warm sunshine, reaching ten feet. The heart-shaped leaves are attractive, but its glory lies in the bright pink or red trumpet-shaped flowers. It needs lots of water, and blooms continually once warm weather is here.
Who can resist smiling at morning glories, ipomoea, the first to greet us every day? A favorite variety is Heavenly Blue’ with white throats. Ipomoea alba, commonly called moonflower, is a fragrant variety that opens at night, attracting night pollinators, and closes by midmorning the next day. Start morning glories four -six weeks before the last frost date in individual pots or sow directly in the garden after the soil warms. To help with germination, soak seeds overnight or nick them with a nail clipper. Set plants in full sun, give plenty of water and hope for warm days when they bloom at their best. Use a tall trellis, twig teepee or wire screen for support.
Thunbergia, black-eyed Susan vine, produces a mass of triangular leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of yellow, orange, red and cream. They are charming in window boxes as well as containers and thrive in the sunshine during our cooler summers.
Gourds and ‘Jack-Be-Little’ pumpkins are good choices to quickly cover fences and arbors. Sow seeds directly in warm ground with sun and frequent watering. An added bonus is their brightly colored fruits for autumn decorations.
Call the local Master Gardener horticultural assistance voice mail at 444-7916 with your gardening questions.
