Wisteria Wizardry

Six years ago a dear friend died and I inherited a little green plastic pot of wisteria, tossed aside in her back garden. Struggling in its scramble up a bamboo stake, the wiry stems with a few yellowed leaves didn't look too promising. I brought it home and it sat in that pot for a year. I then decided to plant it in the ground and tied its tender stems in to a metal obelisk. It was happy there and started to thrive. Three years ago we constructed a cedar arbor next to the plant. As it grew I tied the now quite sturdy stems to the wood. Last Summer it crawled across the top winding its stems around as if holding on for dear life. Leaves were pretty, green and healthy, but that's all, no flowers.

Recently, while chatting with a lady gardener I was introduced to, I mentioned how I'd given up expecting flowers on my wisteria. She told me it would take seven years for the plant to bloom!

First ever blooms ~ April 11, 2009

Looking out through the greening trees and blossoming azaleas a couple of days ago, I noticed the leaves of the wisteria opening on the arbor, and there on one end, dangled two violet-purple flower racemes..........and in just six short years!!! Patience is often a requirement when gardening ~ miracles sometimes take a long time. Memories of special friendships last forever in extraordinary ways.

If you want to know some interesting facts about wisteria, including the location and amazing size of the world's largest wisteria vine, go here.