Today I stopped off at the garden centre to buy some dirt and spied a Mina vine happily flowering in a pot. My Mina seedlings are about 10 cm in height and so, in a moment of weakness, I grabbed the Mina. I repotted it and will put it outdoors when we are pretty much assured that the threat of frost is gone.
What I love about Mina vines, besides their ease of growth, is how the flower buds open in a beautiful red shade and, with time, turn a pale yellow. The picture here shows these variations of colour. By mid-summer, when the vine is several metres in height and filled with blooms, the effect is stunning.
In the background of the Mina, you can see one of my kitchen cupboards which I painted and then stenciled with bamboo shoots. The cupboard door handle is a brass watering can … one of those bits of garden memories that I carry indoors.
After watering the seedlings tonight, which I am happy to report are growing rapidly, I can delve back into one of the most fascinating books that I have read in recent memory – Anna Pavord’s The Naming of Names. I am so in awe of this writer’s breadth of knowledge, love of plants and incredible facility with language.
in the autumn light 
Love your Mina vine dear Kate.From what you describe it is not very difficult to imagine the beauty of this thing when it grows up. I am waiting rather impatiently for mid-summers, when I can have a peep into what it turns out like!
Look at that! I can’t even get Mina to grow for me outdoors and yours is flowering indoors. I think I had it in too shady a spot. Or maybe it’s a daylength thing?
What an interesting vine! And, your cabinet…oh my! Love it! I just knew you must be an artist! You are quite something! I have these horrid kitchen cabinets and I go back and forth between trying to make do (maybe by painting them) or spending big bucks (which I don’t want to do…really…but the cabinets are smallish and not really suited)…and then I see yours and I think…wow!But, anyway…I shall have to find out about the Mina vine! I love bright colors in the heat of summer!
Kate, your imagry is lovely. I can’t wait to see a post and picture once the Mina blooms.I’d love to see you in San Diego next week. e-mail me at mayers1@cox.net, and check out the public garden where I volunteer: thegarden.org.
Kate, dear heart, I’m still marvelling over the fact that you can get Lewisia to overwinter successfully out there in the Prairies. It must be because it gets cold and STAYs cold. Winter wet will take them out and we’re notorious for that here. But I’m going to try again this year, in the rock garden which has about the best drainage…AND…I think I’m getting a small bristlecone pine from a friend of mine who has a dozen or so, and planting it in the same good drainage spot. Oldest tree on the planet…(well, longest-lived)
Kate,I’m not smart about gardens at all but I enjoy them! Can I rely on you for info when I need it?I plan to add much in my gardens if the weather doesn’t pose threats of frosts we’ve had recently and I need help!
Your cabinet door is beautiful. Love that shade of blue. What a good idea for knobs, too!I just looked up mina vine. Don’t think I have seen it before. The page I saw it on was vines of the southeast from North Carolina. But, if you can grow it there, it will grow here.
Your Mina vine looks very pretty, Kate, and I’m curious to see how it will look in summer. I also like the cabinet doors in your kitchen. Very pretty! Those doorhandles are cute, what a wonderful find!Have a lovely weekend!
Very Nice plant Kate!Have never tried to grow these but will be looking at my garden center for one. Perfect background too.
I don’t know what a Mina vine is. I couldn’t find it in my Western Garden Book so it must be an East Coast, Mid West, Canada plant. Anyway it looks very pretty.I love your door handles. Very cute.
Hi Kate,How’s the weather there? I live in Vancouver and we’re back to a cloudy day but in the past 3 days we were supplied with some sunshine, so we can’t complain to much and things are getting green and colorful in the garden with the helpf of the spring bulbs. I read your Mina vine and i don’t think I’ve ever met it. Good to know that it’s easy to grow. I might try it. I have lots of spots to cover. Been growing morning glories and clematis to add color to my fence. Thanks for this idea.
I love Mina lobata. I grew some from seed last year but I started them too late for a good show. Hope yours does great.
Love the background kate.Nice work.Only two more days of school holidays here and back into it for me!I am learning alot about plants with you – thanks.Meganxox