Moonflower Magic
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (342225)
Rockingham, Australia
December 4, 2015 3:59am CST
I haven't been here much today. Last night we had dinner with a friend and stayed the night. I was very taken with her moonflower creeper.
There are several species called moonflower. My friend's belongs to the species Ipomoea alba. It only blooms at night with flowers opening quickly in the evening and usually falling from the plant next day. The fragrant flowers are 8 to 14 centimetres in diameter. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions. The plant is growing along a fence line and looked very attractive with its multitude of white flowers.
After dinner we played Upwords. Have you played this? It is a little bit similar to Scrabble I guess but is more of a 'level playing field'. I find that someone who has played Scrabble a lot has a great advantage over someone who rarely plays. With Upwords, everyone has a more equal chance of getting a high score. We got home in time for me to go out to lunch with members of our Writing Group. It seems like Christmas celebrations are getting under way.
15 people like this
16 responses
@JudyEv (342225)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Dec 15
If you enjoy Scrabble you would enjoy Upwords I'm sure. It is played on a smaller board and basically you can build new words on top of old ones. They have to mesh with any other word that connects. I should look to see if I can play it online.
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
4 Dec 15
I've rarely played Scrabble and never heard of Upwords. But it sounds like fun.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342225)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Dec 15
It is a fun game. Scrabble can be very one-sided sometimes.
@BelleStarr (61101)
• United States
4 Dec 15
I have played Upwords and it is a very enjoyable game. The moonflower is lovely and I am wondering if we have them here.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61101)
• United States
4 Dec 15
@JudyEv I have never heard of them so I will have to check, they look a little like Morning glories to me.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342225)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Dec 15
@BelleStarr That's another name for them I believe.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
13 Dec 15
I have that game and its been played a lot. Our favorite is Scrabble - my sister and I play on line with an on going game at all times. My newest favorite game is called Rummikub great fun with two people but its still fun with more.
1 person likes this
@brokenbee (11090)
• Philippines
5 Dec 15
I am not sure if we have that here in my country but it looks like one of the flowers just growing at our backyard. I just don't know if that's the moonflower.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342225)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Dec 15
Do the flowers stay open all day or do the flowers close up during the day? That might be one way of telling.
@JudyEv (342225)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Dec 15
@brokenbee Quite possibly it is different. By the time we left at 9am the flowers were almost closed. And they only last a day before dropping off and more taking their place.
1 person likes this
@brokenbee (11090)
• Philippines
7 Dec 15
@JudyEv hmmm it's flowers are also open during daytime. Oh, I guess it's a different flower if that's the case.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137872)
• India
5 Dec 15
We have these kind of flowers that bloom in the night and this one in the image blooms once a year. I had this plant a few years ago. In Hindi it is known as Brahma Kamal
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137872)
• India
5 Dec 15
@JudyEv It blooms once and then whithers away before dawn. No I have not seen it bloom (lol)
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342225)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Dec 15
Wow! Once a year! You wouldn't want to be away when it bloomed would you? Do it open each night for a while or just the once?
@slund2041 (3314)
• United States
5 Dec 15
I had a few Moonflowers, but something killed them last year. I am not sure what happen to my plants, since they did not come back this year. I do miss them as it was the only plant I had that bloomed at night.
I have never heard of the game Upwords. I have heard of Scrabble, but never played it.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342225)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Dec 15
What a shame you lost your plants. I was very taken with these. Not many plants bloom at night.
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
4 Dec 15
We have those flowers in spain.... but I think they may go by another name ..... but they are very nice.... I used to play scrabble a lot, just recently we played it with a friend of mine as a way of improving her English ....
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
4 Dec 15
@JudyEv aahhh that could be it..... we have a bluey / purperly coloured one too.... but I prefer the white one....
The scrabble helped in several ways...., with reading and word recognition, and thinking in english, and spelling....
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342225)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Dec 15
@sueznewz2 I was helping a lady with her English once and we used to do very simple crosswords.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (80812)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
4 Dec 15
@JudyEv lovely flower. Sounds like you had a great evening. Haven't played any games in ages.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
4 Dec 15
This looks like what we call Morning Glories. They are often a deep gorgeous blue color.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
5 Dec 15
@JudyEv They reseed themselves and take over, if allowed to do so. I never minded that, since they were so easy to grow and gorgeous.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342225)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Dec 15
I was very jealous of my friend for having such beautiful blooms.
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
4 Dec 15
I have ner seem one but they are pretty and I like the name.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342225)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Dec 15
It is a good name. They open up like a full moon and come out at night so it's very appropriate.
