Seed Packets

I can't find the packet for the Love-in-a-Puff (Cardiospermum haliacabam), aka Balloon vine or Heartseed, but these are the packets of the climbing vine seeds I planted this year. In the lower right corner is the flowering spinach, which so far is only about six inches high, with thick leathery (edible) leaves. Maybe it will flower before frost, but it doesn't seem likely. There was snow on Mount Mitchell last night. That's over 6000 feet above sea level, and the city of Asheville is only about 2200, but winter's coming. The boys from the Bahamas and Jamaica are freezing. In fact, they started wearing winter gear as soon as daytime temperatures got down to 60. One of the Jamaican boys has a Brown sweatshirt, because his sister is in her second year there. "Does she like it?" "She hates it." "Why? Because it's too cold?" "Yes. "Do you think you might go to Brown?" "No!"

Flowering Vines

No killing frost yet, so my climbing vines are still flowering. I've been watching some big fat buds, hoping for another moonflower. Last evening before dark, two buds began to open, showing blue. Here are the two heavenly blues this morning.

The Love-in-a-Puff (can't find the packet and don't remember its scientific name) is a climbing vine with intricately-cut leaves, delicate white flowers, and pale green inflated pods the size of grapes. It's one of my favorites, though it's showy only to a close-up observer:

The translucency of the globes doesn't show up well. Maybe a late afternoon picture with the sun from the west will do this vine justice. I'll try later in the day.