Morning Glory
The morning glory, bought at a little shop in Blanco, began its life with us on the fence behind the eve’s necklace and mountain laurels. They were short, the fence was tall, and the morning glory thrived. It covered yards of fence and the ground beneath it. The trees, however, being trees, grew, and the morning glory lost its sun and was doomed to peeking around and under those trees to get its light.
These days, it no longer covers the fence, nor does much crawling around the ground. It is confined to climbing an old wire Christmas reindeer repurposed for the job and several large garden stakes I’ve put up to capture the reaching vines. Any vines that move out across the ground are redirected back to the structure. It would love to climb the mountain laurel that is close by, but I would prefer not. I would rather it maintain a more decorous attitude and be less grabby and clingy. It’s easy work. It requires only a modest amount of diligence, a bit like monitoring a recalcitrant child. No. Don’t go there.
I may put up some wire this year between the stakes to make it a little easier on the plant. I think it would make for a nice look. A wall of green with big purple flowers. Sounds pretty special. It may even require less work, but it’s hardly a taxing occupation, and it doesn’t feel like much of a selling point. I think it just sounds like something I want to do and while it may appear selfish, every once in a while, that’s okay as long as its not illegal or immoral. It probably has something to do with looking out for myself, and the morning glory. The odd couple.
John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver’s Tale