Moon Flower

When I started my project to keep the deer out of the backyard and protect the gardens from their damaging eating habits, part of that plan was an arbor with gate to block their entry from the west.  [See more about the D.P.P. here.]

The arbor I purchased was crying out for a vine and I selected a Moon Flower.  It gets its name because it blooms at night.  It has grown quite well in this spot but I haven't really seen it bloom until yesterday evening.  Before then I would see the spent blossoms or the buds but not the big white flowers.

I spotted this one as we sat and ate dinner on the screen porch.  As I face the perennial garden I could see the white of the blossom.  

The blossoms are as big as the hibiscus.

This morning there were two blossoms with many more buds set to open.  It is lovely but unfortunately will not last the winter.  Who knows what I'll plant there next year.

The second blossom's petals must be too heavy to fully open out.

 Or maybe that petal is caught behind?

Here's a new bud showing the promise of more to come.

By the way the D.P.P. has worked wonderfully this year.  Fishing line has done the trick to keep the deer out even when we were on vacation and those critters always seem to know when we're gone.  I still have hosta in the Glen Garden that in past Augusts would be just stems by now.