Out of My Gourd!

I am crazy.

Crazy, that is, about vines.

With the exception of poison ivy,

(and don't look at my face right now, 

it is covered in poison ivy.)

(Thank you, Oakley...but that's a different story!)

Again, with the exception of poison ivy,

I love plants that creep and climb and cover everything...

sending out nimble tendrils to help them gain a foothold.

Now, I know that in some cases this type of

invasiveness can be a problem.

(not my house!)

But, on my garden fence it is a welcomed sight.

Cardinal flowers...vining to the sky

are a natural hummingbird attractant.

Morning glories, whose sweet faces greet me each morning...

Purple, ornamental beans whose lavender blossoms

 mature to this lovely purple fruit...

The delicate, ruffled white blossoms of various gourds...

My favorite corner of the vegetable garden is this,

in the strawberry patch....

where gourd plants are creeping and climbing

and generally running amok!

There are gourds of all sizes, shapes, and textures.

I will use these in autumn decorating,

and then dry them for use

as bird houses next summer.

Another corner of the garden boasts a healthy grape harvest...

This fall, I will visit our local nursery...

looking for perennial flowering vines

to add to next year's garden walls.

Eventually I would love if the 8 foot fence walls of my

garden were entirely encased in vinery...

like a secret outdoor room,

overflowing with life-sustaining yumminess!