Cottage-Style Container Gardens

Morning Glory Tower

This annual climber can be easily grown from seed in spring, and will quickly romp over a container support, smothering it in trumpetlike flowers.

Materials

morning glory seedlings
large container
multi-purpose soil and slow-release fertilizer
broken clay pot pieces
tall bamboo stakes
raffia or string

Steps

1. Place broken clay pot pieces in the base of the pot, fill with soil, and mix in slow-release fertilizer granules (Image 1).

2. Arrange stakes around the edge of the pot and tie the tops together. Then stabilize the obelisk by tying each stake to the next with raffia to form a ring (Image 2). Repeat this a few times up the stakes.

3. Take a pot or two of seedlings that you sowed indoors in early spring. Carefully separate them out and plant one at the base of each stake (Image 3). Firm in, and water the plants well.

4. The small plants will quickly start to climb on their own but may benefit from being tied in at first. Water the plants well all summer, and remove any faded flowers to keep them in bloom.