May is wisteria time in the Cotswolds.
The lovely lavender of the flowers goes brilliantly with the mellow cotswold stone of many of the houses. I bought this plant as a present for David when we first moved in here some ten years ago, and it's now a good mature plant. I know that some people have a problem getting them to start flowering, and I think they respond best to fairly hard pruning. Set out the basic framework of branches, and prune all other side shoots to a couple of buds to encourage formation of flower buds. We prune it fairly hard after flowering, to keep it under control, and tie in any new growth, but that's about all.If you leave them they just grow like the Day of the Triffids, ours regularly comes in the bedroom window by midsummer.
Wisteria is my favorite vine it grows so well here, but then our weather is very much the same. I prune mine hard as well and have never had a problem with lack of flower. Ours is just about finished blooming and will bloom twice more during the year, just not quite as heavy as the first.
ReplyDeleteHi Doc, double dose of wisteria sounds wonderful, sadly we only get the one mad flush in May, lovely though aren't they.
ReplyDeletekathy is that YOURS growing???? fabulous
ReplyDeleteHi John, yes it is indeed, they do make a lovely show don't they.
ReplyDeleteYou should see the one I butchered at work! It's a sorry sight. The really big one has responded pretty well though (I'll get a picture) x
ReplyDeleteAh shame dear, never mind I expect it'll be better next year.
ReplyDeleteThat is so amazing! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHe GSS - Glad you like it
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