QUESTION: My seven moonflower seeds germinated inside, and I need some guidance about where, when and how to transplant them outside. They should be giving me 10- to 20-foot vines. We have a pergola on our oceanfront property on the New Jersey shore with a northeast exposure. We also have an arbor with a very, very slowly growing climbing Don Juan rose, with more of a southeast exposure.ANSWER: Moonflower (Ipomoea alba, a member of the morning-glory clan) needs sun to do well. The time I tried a spot with limited midday sun, it was anemic. It will grow on fences, posts, shrubs, trellises, you name it. You can put a string leading from a stake by the moonflower to low branches of a tree.I'd be careful about growing it over a rose - when happy, moonflower has great amounts of foliage, which could completely envelope the rose, in effect putting it in the dark. Toward the end of the summer, it is also heavy, so it should be growing on something relatively sturdy.Moonflower is one of those no-hassle annuals that give great delight for minimal effort. The flowers open dramatically at dusk, are large and visible in starlight or, of course, moonlight, and are fragrant, so planting near a patio where one lingers in the summer night is a classic arrangement. The fat seeds germinate best if nicked and can now be planted directly in the ground. In late fall, collect seed pods when they begin to dry and store the seed, sealed, in the refrigerator over winter.

QUESTION: Several kinds of moss are taking over my garden areas, in the sun, shade, everywhere. Most of it can be pulled up in sheets. Does moss indicate something about the soil? Or is it proliferating from our having had more rain than in the drought years?ANSWER: Moss generally indicates compacted, infertile soil that is less hospitable to lawn grass and ornamentals. Excess acidity is also often associated with moss, but it's the compacted soil that's really the problem. Shade and abundant moisture (2003 and 2004 were wet years) appeal to moss as well.Trees are another friend of mosses - there's the obvious shade factor, and their roots can take up most of the nutrients in the soil, discouraging nonmosses. Removing lower branches and thinning trees to admit more light will discourage moss.Compacted soil needs to be aerated; in a lawn of any size, it is best done by a professional with a machine. (I've tried the low-tech devices that you press into the ground with your foot. Forget it, unless your lawn is about 5 feet by 5 feet.)The University of Massachusetts' Department of Plant and Soil Sciences has a readable, if blunt, fact sheet at www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/moss1.htm .On the other hand, a moss lawn can be a treat, especially when walking barefoot. In fact, bare feet are best. A moss lawn cannot tolerate children's games or digging dogs. To encourage one, keep doing nothing.Send your gardening questions to Michael Martin Mills, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia, Pa. 19101, or send e-mail to: Millsmphillynews.com