Wisteria.

My Mum and Dad taught me to appreciate plants and trees when I was a child, but the desire to keep learning is always there with me.
Plants and all of Nature is an endless fascination to me.
I know the names of the main garden plants and the wildflowers, but the more exotic ones remain a mystery to discover more about.
So as I am not very knowledgeable about Wisteria, but admire its pendulous beauty, I turned to The Complete Book of Gardening, which I was blessed to find in a charity shop.
Wisteria, it says, has exquisite drooping racemes of pea-flowers in purple, blue and pink or white, appearing from Spring to early Summer.
The plant was named after a Dr. Wistar.
The most popular species is Wisteria sinensis, which gives abundant heliotrope-blue scented flowers.
They can be grown from seed, but may take 20 years to flower.
My Mum, in Croydon, has one that is yet to flower, even though she looks after it lovingly and longs to see flowers on it.
You need guidance on correct pruning from a gardening expert, to maximise the flowering potential
In the Winter, the Wisteria needs to be cut back where there are side shoots.
Leave only the shoots that enable the plant to extend itself.
Maybe Mum's needs a good few more years to reach maturity.
There is a magnificent Wisteria at Chartwell in Kent, Churchill's country home, and another at Rydal Mount the home of Wordsworth.
I think I will stick to the more humble garden plants, pansies, geraniums, ferns, lavender and Star of Bethlehem, which grow well in my small garden.
The weather is changing from a cold low light start, to close and brighter.
Have a good Tuesday, blipper friends.
Happiness Quote:
"The key to happiness is patience."