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Sunday, July 12, 2009

The Blue Dawn Flower



The Blue Dawn flower/Ipomoea indica is also known as the Ocean
blue Morning Glory or Blue Morning Glory. Although its origin
is uncertain it has spread throughout the tropical world. The
site for Indian flowers www.flowersofindia.net has more facts
and pictures of this beautiful plant.



I got my plant in January this year. Found it blooming in the
wild and helped myself to the purple bounty. It has turned out
to be a prolific bloomer and there's always some insect on the
blooms which makes it more interesting!

Early in the mornings the blooms are a deep purple with pink lines.
But as the sun climbs higher the blooms turn a lighter shade till
it's almost pink.



Let's curl up and die!

This is the colour that the blooms turn into--in the afternoon.





I was happy to be able to get an insect which made no attempt
to fly away after my first shot.



Coming back to check on it later I was shocked to see the half-
eaten bloom!! Ouch!



With a pair of tweezers I sent it to kingdom come, er.....
across the road, to the swamp. Hopefully, it must have discovered
more attractions there and I haven't seen it since!!



Just as I was wondering how bees get so much pollen on
their backs, as if to prove a point, I saw this bee going
inside the bloom!



Emerging...point noted, Mr. Carpenter!



What a find! Caught this skipper right inside the bloom!



This morning glory will be a constant here. For support I've used
an old iron window-frame. It has turned out to be a no-fuss plant.
Just the usual watering and manure (once in a while). Soon I'll have
to trim it to keep it in check. But for now, I'm enjoying the blooms
and all the insects who stop by.

19 comments:

tina said...

It gorgeous. That is funny about you catching the insect with such a good picture-even one of it eating your flower. Isn't it sometimes like that? A beautiful flower!

Susie said...

I can see why you are enjoying it. It's so pretty. I like how it changes color at the end of the day.

I like how you caught all the different insects on it. They are all so busy.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kanak, I like how you photographed the blooms throughout the day and show the different looks it has. Those insect photos are great too. What a beautiful job you have done of sharing this with us.

Randy Emmitt said...

Kanak,

That blue morning glory reminds me of a huge one we have here called Heavenly Blue. Enjoyed these beautiful photos. Wish you would have gotten a close up of that zebra looking hairstreak though.

Carol said...

Lovely blue to pale purple! Great insect shots... a little world of its own.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Hi Kanak, You have captured the morning glory in all its glorious stages with and without visitors. It even curls up in a cute way. The colours and its fast growth its all there in exuberance. I sometimes pass a place where a very dark blue one is draping itself over many trees. I am always tempted but I have always resisted because I am not sure if I am able to keep it in check and I have already many climbing plants so I must say climbers are my favourites. Now, with your gorgeous pictures you have stirred that little greed in getting one.
Kanak have a nice week.

Anonymous said...

It reminds me a bit of our 'Heavenly Blue' Morning Glory which is too prolific for my garden. Except I've never seen one fade to another shade altogether. :) Looks like it's a great insect magnet.

D said...

Kanak, gorgeous photographs! and that blue! umm. Spectacular. And I must confess that I can grow just about anything, but why not a morning glory?

Kathy said...

What a gorgeous flower Kanak and so pretty curled up. Yikes that little insect sure was hungry, great shots of the insect and the bee, happy days, Kathy.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I love morning glories, too. I get too many seedlings each year, and have to pull lots up or it would be a tangled mess.

I love your photos! It was amazing to see the insect and how much it ate.

I enjoyed your Blooming Friday pics, too.

NatureStop said...

Beautiful flowers in your beautiful garden.Never realized the curls but they look beautifully curly in the mornings.Really enjoyed your post.Great shots of the insects.

Stephanie said...

These morning glories are amazing Kanak! Nowadays I am attracted to blue and purple flowers. Not many are showy as morning glories. Last weekend, at a nursery I saw purple passiflora. The flower look surprisingly nice as compared with a red passiflora. So, I think purple or blue makes the flower look tame and pleasant. Happy Monday!

lotusleaf said...

What stunning pictures! I admire your pictures of insects. I also have this plant, it is one of the few blue flowers we get here.The only trouble with morning glory is , it doesn't open before I leave for school, and it would have closed by the time I return in the afternoon!

Unknown said...

Oh yes, Tina. Not the kind of pics our hearts are after...I'm thinking butterflies...wings open...!!!

Susie/Mildred, it was coincidental-- that I happened to be outside when the visitors came:)

Randy, I was so happy to get the shot. The fact that I could've taken better shots struck me later. Thanks for pointing it out. I'll surely keep this in mind provided I happen to catch such a sight again!

Carol~~ a little world of its own--well said. Before I posted I'd thought of the title in those lines. Not exactly the same though.

Trudi, initially I thought the colours were to do with my camera. But as got used to the blooms I learned about the changing colours too. My hometown is full of different kinds of morning glories. But this one, I feel, is the most spectacular. Over these past months I've added many climbers to my collection.

Enjoy your week too!

Racquel, I can imagine how lovely that must be! The name says so.

Di, why not?! It's going to look grander in a setting as beautiful as yours!!

Kathy, about that insect~~I hope I don't have that kind visiting me! But thanks for your comment. Have a great week!!

Sue, great to hear from you! And I'm so glad to read your comment about Blooming Friday. I'll stop by again and check your labels.

Ruby/Arun, very happy to read your comment!Have a great week! i hope they keep blooming when you come in winter.

Steph, I know how you felt about the red passiflora!!But I'm glad you liked the blue one. I haven't grown it but it looks really nice...have seen it on blogs. Happy Monday to you too!!

Padma~~~~ so you get to see it in bloom only on holidays!! I've read that in India, the plant does well in all the hill stations. To tell you the truth I haven't seen it in Guwahati. Bangalore must be a garden bloggers' delight!

zindagi said...

Lovely pics, we too have these beauties blooming around here.

I enjoyed your post (as always).

D said...

Why not? I don't know. lol I shall try again for I do love them.

Unknown said...

Gauri, thank you so much! So lovely to hear from you. It's so hot here now that I keep thinking about the Himalayan foothills and high ranges~~Kullu must be so pleasant now.

Di, great to hear from you again. Thanks!

Lona said...

What a beautiful morning glory. I love blue so I really like this one. It is so interesting that it changes to pink.Such beautiful shots.

Wendy said...

Your pics are beautiful. I love morning glories. Did not know they grow all over the world (or so it seems).

Happy gardening!