Saturday, July 26, 2008

Wisteria wanders


Our multiflagellate Wisteria is thriving, and has flowered for two successive years since it was first planted in a sheltered spot on the north side of the Villa. The usual approach to the house from the north is via a ‘camino’ or small unmade road; and offers the visitor the least attractive aspect of the property. The first view of the building is of the garage doors, which are functional and imposing but certainly not decorative. We planted the Wisteria in the flower bed to the left of the doors and will in time train the twining stems along the base of the first floor balcony above the garage so as to soften the appearance of the façade. The Wisteria should be pruned twice each year to encourage flowering. Immediately after flowering shorten the whip like new growth to about 12”, and then in winter cut back the growth again to about 6” to encourage the formation of flower buds. Modern plants are grafted onto older rootstock are therefore more likely to flower than not; seed grown specimens often take several years to reach their flowering stage. Only grafted varieties come true to type.

 

Wisteria, climber, blue flower,   

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