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Author Topic: Moonflower -- ipomoema alba, datura inoxia  (Read 4108 times)

Offline Cindi

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Moonflower -- ipomoema alba, datura inoxia
« on: March 22, 2007, 11:07:45 am »
Ann, you are pretty knowledgeable about many horiticultural things, I can tell that my the way you write.  Good for you.

I grew datura inoxia once, many years ago, the description of the flower intrigued me.  I did not give these plants a chance.  I found that the flower only lasted for one day and I just could not spare the time or space then.  I feel differently now.

Steve has mentioned that these datura get very big.  I should have given my daturas a chance, regret it now.

Zoot, I am anxious about what more information you will bring about this species of moonflower.  I have set seed for a couple morning glory this year.  I am cultivating the "flying saucers" and "heavenly blue".  I want to try them in some hanging baskets.  These plants have only been set in the soil in my greenhouse for a week now, they have germinated, are growing and are about 4 inches high already.  I have nipped the new growing shoot to keep it a little shorter and have reduced the water content in the soil so that it will grow healthy roots instead of upwards.  We'll see.  It is too cold to set plants outside yet, so I may have an enormous plant before I can even think of outside.

So, Queen of the Night, Moonflower, Ipomoema alba, one in the same.  I am off to google this and see what I can see.  Have the best of the bestest of days.  Cindi

There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Cindi

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Re: Moonflower -- ipomoema alba, datura inoxia
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2007, 10:13:16 am »
I found the Moonflower seed in a store in my town, so I am sowing it in my greenhouse to get a couple of weeks headstart.  Gonna keep it in a large hanging pot, so I can place it where I enjoy the night fragrance the most.  OUtside on my bedroom patio.  Have a beautiful day all.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Zoot

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Re: Moonflower -- ipomoema alba, datura inoxia
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2007, 01:05:25 am »
Sorry Cindi,

I don't think my moonflower experiment will take place this spring. I was going to plant my stored seeds from a plant that I've grown for a number of years (beautiful big flowers, blooms all summer) and, for comparison, plant several purchased, known varieties in hopes of indentifying what I have. Just too much going on here I'm afraid - we're starting a sheep herd on top of everything else (1 year now) and shearing has been exhausting and time consuming.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Moonflower -- ipomoema alba, datura inoxia
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2007, 11:22:00 am »
Zoot, awe, that's OK, there's always another year.  I planted the Moonflower seeds as I said.  I soaked them overnight in water firstly, then set them into little two inch pots.  They really take a long time to germinate, I was very surprised.  I should have scarified the seed first, that would have sped things up significantly.  I will do that next year.  I have set the plants outside now, we'll see how they do.  When they begin to flower, I will take pictures.  I am very anticipatory of the fragrance of these night flowers, I can't wait.  With the Matthiola Bicornis (night scented stock) planted on my bedroom patio and the Moonflower growing up the trellis on the patio, it should be a beautiful place to sleep and enjoy night fragrance all night long. 

You are lucky to be able to have sheep.  I love sheep, I think they are one of the prettiest animals.  My neighbour to the southwest of the back of my property has sheep.  Angora actually.  I love to watch them.  When I am at the end of the chicken yard I can see them through the fence.  They are so curious.  When I come over to the fence they all turn and look at me.  She has about 6 or 7 I venture.  If I stand long enough watching them watching me, eventually one will come closer, then they all move a little closer.  It is funny to watch.  It is like one leads the entire bunch of them.  Moving a few steps at time, stopping, a few more steps.  When they make eye contact with my dog, then they all turn around and run the other way.  They (all at once) will suddenly turn around and begin to look at me again.  Moving as one unit, little bit by little bit.  I would love to get some sheep, but then I think that they would eat all my bee flowers that I have planted out the back and that would be dreadful.

I am amazed at how the chickens groom the weedy grasses out the back.  Where the grass has grown they have chewed it down and it looks like a golf green.  They are smart.  They don't dig or pull up these areas, just "mow" it short as short can be.  When I was out looking at the grass green last evening about an hour before sundown, the way the sun was shining on it looked like these places were green velvet.  I don't know how the grasses can be so short without burning up from dehydration, but they are.  I will be taking pictures and one day having the ability to post on the forum.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful life and health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Zoot

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Re: Moonflower -- ipomoema alba, datura inoxia
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2007, 01:04:15 am »
Yes, sheep are far more interesting than many people would credit. Same goes for goats which we are experimenting with also. After a lifetime around horses I just felt it was time for something with different.

I am amazed to hear that your chickens are so well behaved. We have 24 roaming about the property at the moment (all hens). They are quite industrious and, unlike yours, they have developed a taste more for our newly planted vegetables. They ignore the weed sprouts. They also scatter massive amounts of plant cover, and will sometimes scrap away so much soil from a particular spot that roots from shrubs, etc get uncovered resulting in death to the plant. It's a bit of a dilema though I just can't bear the thought of restricting them. I wish they would trim the grass neatly but they have no sense of aesthetics whatsoever. Do yours roam unrestricted?

Offline Cindi

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Re: Moonflower -- ipomoema alba, datura inoxia
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2007, 10:12:19 am »
Zoot, now it is interesting how my sister has set things up for our chickenyard critters.  We live on five acres and the back 3 are uncultivated (except for the bee seed plants that I have sown) and groves of coniferous trees that we left after some massive land clearing last year.

The chickenyard lives back there.  She has built a lightweight chickenwire fence that extends the width of our property, she used electric fencing posts for the suppports.  It can be moved easily to wherever she wants it.  The chickens do not have access to the front property at all (unless they sneak out through an opening, which very often they find).  For reasons unknown the wire gets lifted a bit and they go under (I think that the chickens do this).  So they have full run on about 3 acres, but they really don't like to venture much westward of this fence for more than about 100 feet, that seems to be their safe range of forage.  They don't like to go much further out the back.  Interesting.  They probably now that the coyotes would surely get them.  I love how our big white rooster, Roquefort, guards.  We always know when something is not right, he lets the entire chickenyard know, and us too for that matter.  We are lucky that mostly always someone is home at our places and if he makes his guarding noises we quickly check it out too.  There has been a coyote come out a few times in the broad daylight, looking at all the tasty meals that he thinks he could enjoy!!!  Right.  We have 6 dogs, and they surely go after this critter looking on, he has been chased off many a time so far.  If we are not going to be home, the chickens can easily be put back into their safe chickenyard.  But such a busy place with people, not very often is there no one home.

The ducks love to go around the perimeter of the bee fence and eat stuff that is in the longer grasses.  I think they get slugs or something ugly like that.  I haven't seen any slugs around our place very much any more.  And that is so unusual for this wild and wet place.  So, they must be doing their slug job!!  It makes me think that many of the slugs that used to be in my cultivated areas originated and bred in the back part.  Weird...There was talk about ducks eating slugs in one of the posts on the forum, and yes they certainly do!!!!  Off to a great day, have a beautiful day with great health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service