Sure is pretty for something so noxious.

Morning glory is also called bindweed, for its habit of twining around other plants.  Traditionally, it has few practical uses, though medicinally it is reputed to be a drastic purgative, and the leaves have been used in poultices to relieve swollen feet.  It traveled here from the gardens of Europe, and it thrives in disturbed areas, such as our urban backyards.

In the beautiful book, Slow Time, Waverly Fitzgerald mentioned that she uses morning glory vines as wire when making wreathes.  So this weekend, when I was rescuing my sweet native ferns from the strangling tentacles of invasive morning glory, I saved the vines, and tried using them as garden twine.  Early today I spent a pleasant hour, lashing together sticks for pepper and tomato cloches (it’s still chilly in Seattle at night!).

The morning glory worked wonderfully–the vines are pliable, knottable, and strong.  They are also rather neat-looking, I think.

A couple notes:

–Thanks to my neighbor who left a stack of little bamboo arches out in her “Free” pile.

–You may notice that my ace photographer is temporarily off the grid, and we are obliged to stumble along on my own humble photos.  We’ll be back to the usual gorgeous photography soon!