[gardeners] Is Duane (GARDENS-L) on vacation or what?

Bob Kirk (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 10 Jun 1998 20:46:24 -0500 (CDT) 

   Well, it's my own fault I managed to achieve the unique honor of
individually moderated status there... no big deal, Duane always sent my
generally-prosaic posts straight on through, but the last one (8 days back)
went to Bob Crovo (apparently the _official_ listowner) at UKY, and even a
direct email request to please post it has gotten zero response (request to
his address listed on their web page, not to some obscure folder he doesn't
realize he's supposed to check).

   As long as I'm asking, does anyone else in more favored zones have
any experience with this vine?  (note at end was appended to the version
finally sent to the original GARDENS-L correspondent).

Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 21:58:33 -0500 (CDT)
From: Bob Kirk <reikirk@ksu.edu>
X-Sender: reikirk@fox.ksu.ksu.edu
To: Gardens & Gardening <GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU>
Subject: Re: Vine to cover shed in Dallas
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.96L.980602204653.18100A-100000@fox.ksu.ksu.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

> I live in Dallas, > TX and I have an unsightly utility shed in the
> backyard.  Is there any vine > that I can plant at this late date that
> will make significant progress in > covering up that ugly shed.

  The Plumeria People catalog mentions Antigonon leptopus as a house-eater.
Pretty fast-growing as I recall (in Kansas and no doubt planted really late,
but it's been a few years). Chains of tiny bright rose-pink flowers over a
long season in mid-late summer; PP also have a distinctly red form, maybe a
white one, but TAMU website recommends it for everywhere but the Panhandle
so you might find gallon plants locally for the $7-8 Plumeria People would
charge for a (sturdy) 4" pot.
   There's nothing shabby about even the common form. In general aspect,
it's rather like silver lace vine, as a matter of fact  [the only other
suggestion offered on-list] : great mass of foliage and flowers, but not in
any way heavy or out of scale for covering something the size of a utility
shed.
   Like a banksia rose or wisteria, for example, two more ideas from the
website. They call it coralvine there, I think PP call it something else.
The color certainly isn't what most of us would call coral, at any rate. 
   You might be safest asking for it by its real name, just don't ask me
how to say it...  (?) Aunty GO non (?) An TIG on on (?)   Probably both
right depending whether you tend to enunciate the words it's derived from
or pronounce it (#2) as one word by the book.

   Other non-southerners be warned: the only reason this isn't one of my
prize plants (grows from smallish dahlia-like tubers which can be lifted)
is that I grew it twice more, here & in central Kansas, and never saw
bloom one. Fragrant Path suggests it blooms best when potbound, but I was
trying to duplicate its original spectacular performance in the ground and
have never gotten around to going back and trying it in a container.
----------------

...without going back in and editing: yes it is fast-growing / PP have
a deeper rose form (the red was another vine) and a white / Sunset Western
Garden Book reminds me this does have larger leaves than silver lace vine,
but concurs in my recollection that it's in no way coarse or overwhelming /
both SWGB and PP claim it blooms all summer & fall, which was actually my
recollection but like I said that was several years ago and I didn't want
to exaggerate if all I was remembering was a general impression of having
been mightily impressed.

   aka Mexican Love Vine (which also refers to Senecio confusus) and
Queen's Wreath (which usually means some blue-flowering greenhouse thing
I don't recall at the moment), thus my feeling when the above was written
that the real name would be safest.