This Fast-Growing Climbing Flower Transformed My Backyard Practically Overnight

When I first moved into my apartment, our big backyard space (a hot commodity in NYC) had beautiful morning glory vines creeping along the walls, which was a really nice way to fill out the not-so-cute textured concrete. Their bright purple blooms cheered me up all spring and summer! Plus, it made the space feel charming and cozy, which I loved. Sadly, a couple of years ago, they got ripped out (technically, they were coming from an abandoned lot adjacent to us, so the plants were killed when construction was happening).

I had never really considered growing morning glories intentionally; I always thought of them as wild flowers. Our backyard is all planked, so any vines I chose had to be something that could withstand living in a container and survive the harsh winters here. I wanted something that was different than the purple morning glories you typically see, and after a quick Etsy search, I ended up buying two different types of variegated morning glories that are now growing vigorously in my backyard! To learn more about these charming flowers, I chatted with Amy Enfield, Ph.D, a senior horticulturist at Scotts Miracle-Gro.

Caring for Morning Glories

“Morning glories are fast-growing, vining annuals with brilliant trumpet-shaped flowers,” says Enfield. “The flowers’ colors almost appear to glow against the green leaves!” Here’s everything to know to ensure this flowering vine climbs and thrives.

Sun

“Morning glories need full sun, at least 6-8 hours daily, to produce those beautiful blooms,” explains Enfield. Lucky for me, most of my deck gets full sun many hours a day, making it an ideal spot for growing these glorious morning glories!

Soil

“Morning glories can be grown both in in-ground garden beds and in containers, but the soil needs to be moist, well-draining, and nutrient-rich. They also benefit from a spot that is protected from strong winds to keep the vines from being damaged.” Phew! I was glad Enfield OK’d planting them in containers because that was my only option. Enfield suggests filling your outdoor containers (the container should be 10 inches wide or larger) with fresh, nutrient-rich, well-draining potting mix. If you’re planting in a garden bed, amend it with aged compost or soil blends.

Prepping Your Seeds

Morning glory seeds have a very hard seed coat (it was crazy to watch mine literally crack out of their shell as they grew), but Enfield has a couple of tricks you can do the day before planting to help encourage your lil’ seeds to sprout.

First up—scarifying your seeds. “Scarification is the simple process that involves taking a knife, piece of sandpaper, or file and creating a nick or ‘weak spot’ in the seed coat so that water can easily enter the seed,” she says. “Once you’ve scarified the seed, you can help jump-start germination by soaking the seeds overnight in warm water.”

Alternatively, if you want to skip the seed stage, you can find morning glory plants at your local nursery.

Planting

When it comes time for planting (after you’ve prepped the seeds), the seeds should be sown about a half-inch deep once all chances of frost have passed in the spring and the soil has had a few weeks to warm (65°F is the ideal soil temperature for seed germination).

Support

“Your morning glories are ‘enthusiastic’ growers and will need something to climb and grow on, whether a trellis, fence, arbor, or other structure,” says Enfield. “Adding support will help you control where they grow so they don’t accidentally smother neighboring plants.”

Feeding Morning Glories

Enfield says that morning glories benefit from a continuous supply of nutrients throughout the growing season, “But be careful not to give them too much nitrogen, or you’ll end up with a lot of green vines but no flowers!” She says. “Use a fertilizer with a boost in phosphorus to help promote flower development.”

Watering

Enfield says that morning glories like their soil to be consistently moist (like a wrung-out sponge). “Water whenever the top inch of soil is dry. During hot, dry spells, your morning glories will need water more frequently to support all their growth.”

More Morning Glory Care Tips

Want extra credit? Here are some additional tips to make sure your morning glories are healthy, happy, and full of blooms.

Mulch

“Adding a two- to three-inch layer of mulch is an easy way to help keep moisture in the soil longer and stop weed seeds from germinating,” says Enfield. However, she cautions not to add mulch to your garden beds or containers until after your morning glories have germinated and started growing.

Prune

“While not required, a light, occasional pruning of vines can help control and direct growth,” Enfield explains. “Some morning glories are more aggressive than others, and the occasional pruning will help keep them growing in their ‘swim lane’.”

Deadhead

“If you remove the faded flowers before they start to form seed pods, you will encourage the vines to continue to form new flowers!” And who doesn’t want new flowers?