Time marches on

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Mar 24, 2007 11:07 am

I finally got to spend a day working the garden on Thursday. My huge wisteria plant suffered severe damage in a late freeze last year (2006). There was one live piece that grew up mid-summer. I hacked away at the dead parts last year, but couldn't untangle the mess. Thursday I was finally able to get through it all and pull the vines down. What a change! There is a clematis tangutica that grows up the left side, so the pipe won't be completely naked. I haven't quite decided if I'll let the vine grow back up and try to keep it pruned, or if I'll just keep cutting off new growth until it dies. The tree next to the gateway is a Weeping Candied Apple flowering crab, and it needs a bit more room than the wisteria was giving it. I'm not entirely sure that one wonderful flush of bloom in 12 years was enough to warrant keeping it.
Linda P

kHT · Post by **kHT** » Mar 24, 2007 11:43 am

LindaP, they are a lot of work keeping them trained but the view that you see of the valley if great, lots of space. We keep our undercontrol across our fence to the north. She really takes off and there are weeks I'm out there cutting like crazy. See if the other tree does better without it friend and I know you will miss the blooms.

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Mar 28, 2007 10:35 am

Yes, they are a lot of work to keep in bounds. I would gladly do it, if only I had blossoms every year. Most years, the blossoms are sacrificed to a late freeze, even with our winters warming up more in the last decade. I think I've just about decided that I'm not going to let it grow back up. I know it will take a long time to get rid of it, as I have suckers coming up all over that bed. I pull a lot of them out each year. I surely don't want the whole bed covered in a tangle of wisteria! I pulled one out last year at least 20 feet from the main plant.

Linda P

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 29, 2007 8:14 pm

Hard way lesson

The harder you cut a wisteria, the better it bloom

Somethings looks odd during the winther- even here in tis tiny garden, but if I want it to look good during the winther with conifers- there is no space for my hostas

So the deal is.. acceptable look in winther and flush in summer time

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Mar 29, 2007 9:47 pm

If I have to work to hard to keep a plant you can bet I'll get rid of it

Bloomed once in 10 Yrs

I would take it out. I tried growing it once and it never did bloom so out it went. I like them but not that much

Of course I have never seen one in bloom in person, just pictures. They are beautiful, but just not my cup of tea.

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Mar 30, 2007 9:13 am

Pia, I'm blessed with more space than one baby-boomer (getting too old to keep up with it all!) needs to garden in. Yet, I still run out of room for things!
I'm able to have some conifers, and have a lot of trees and shrubs that produce winter interest. Seeing that empty gateway, though, just reminds me of the feeling you have when you lose a tooth....the empy spot keeps reminding you of what used to be there.
Annie, I pretty much agree. This plant is so mariginal here, that I should just let it go, and probably will.
That one glorious flush of bloom was almost worth it!
Linda P

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 30, 2007 9:44 pm

So why don't you get rid of that emthy tooth

Sometimes I think of your chicken yard when I play with my darn - slowly getting better - clay

It have been a mild winther- so give the wisteria one more shoot

Pia