5 things: my mom's advice for vines!!

When people ask my about my plants in my yard (namely my Peggy Martin vines that have been showing off for almost a month now!) I have to give credit where credit is due. I get it from my momma. Aside from being my number one substack fan and a lifelong advocate for the rights of people with special needs, the woman knows her way around a garden. A true garden. One that grows wild but has intention, never perfectly kempt, always with an abundance of personality. She has many many fabulous and rare plants but my favorites have always been her vines. Fortunately for you, dear readers, she is in town visiting and is gracing us all with her green goddess thumb tips.

Me: “Ok mom, as I would prompt Chat-GPT, I’m going to preface this the same way “give vine planting tips to someone who has zero experience and a brown thumb” So lay it on us”

Mom: “First things first, you must know where you are putting them. Decide the location that has room to spread and determine the lighting there. Vines are one of the most sun specific plants you can grow. Next off you need to determine if you are ok with them growing wild or you want to keep them trained. If you want to train them tightly- come up with a plan to trim every few months. Splurge for an established plant from a nursery. Growing from seeds and starter plants is tricky and you’d be better off being a season or two ahead in growth. I highly recommend Osmocote for fertilizing your vines. And if you really get passionate about them (you will) setting up an irrigation system will be very helpful. And lastly, be willing to share clippings and tips, because once you have those beautiful vines thriving around your home, people will ask!”

Me: "Where do you find these gems? Fortunately you find them for me, but I can’t inspire these lovely readers and not give them a place to source their own dreamy vineyard.”

Mom: “ I go to many master gardener shows. Look up those in your area. Surprisingly, the prices on plants there are very reasonable and typically much less than a typical nursery. Facebook marketplace and the Baton Rouge weekly plant market are spots I frequent. I am in a garden club where we swap plants as well.”

Victoria here. My pride and joy are my front and back yard Peggy Martins. I’ve purchased 4 online and one locally at Elizabeth Stuart (CHS locals they might have more!) I found this large one on ebay (I’ve only had one failed plant that I bought off of ebay so if you read reviews, I vouch for the legit-ness) Here’s a big one I found for $40 that feels VALUE. I only planted these 18 months ago and they are so bold and beautiful already! I made the climbing supports for them out of picture frame backing and will just twist them around as they grow. I do not trim my vines!1 I will twist them back up into themselves if they get leggy. I also swear by mom’s fertilizer but I only do it twice a year. Maybe when we get to that golden retirement age and free time is flowing like a river, things will change. Gardening is one of my favorite meditative practices. When my mind won’t quiet down and the lure of a doom scroll is strong, I typically pull out some pots of either the cooking or plant varietal because it always does the trick. Plus you get fruits of your labor! Win all around.

This week has been a lovely week for me and I hope the same for you!

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