The Eternal Springing of Hope

Along with being a forgetful gardener I am also overly patient. While in some parts of the country wisteria is a deer resistant nuisance weed, it is rarely seen here. Naturally, that causes me to want to grow it. I'd want to grow deer resistant palms in the Arctic, if I was there, but that's another story.

Six years ago, we moved to The Park, moving many plants from our previous home along with us, including 3 wisteria purchased in Hope, Arkansas the year before. I transplanted them along a farm fence and promptly forget about them.

The first winter here was brutally cold, with lots of ice which killed most every plant in the ground. The following spring, the wisteria stalks were black, and I believing them dead, pulled 2 out in the fall, one I seemingly lost or missed one.

Two years later I planted 2 locally hardy wisteria which thanks to benign neglect are becoming well established. Last week, while I clearing honeysuckle along the fence row I found this,

my lost wisteria. 5 years later it has returned from the dead. Seems fitting for Easter season.

Toad

Wisteria

Have you ever had a British car born sometime between World War 2 and the American invasion in the 80's? If so, you know the sound. Brit cars audibly rust. Armstrong Siddeley's to Vauxhall's, rust buckets all. Their rusting keeps owners awake nights. I've had to move Camilla to the barn in able to sleep.

Now I'm kept awake by wisteria. Are you supposed to be able to hear wisteria grow?

I have a penchant for attempting to growing things that don't necessarily belong here. I've never seen wisteria in bloom in Mayberry, and understand it takes several years for the plant to mature before flowering. That didn't stop me when I saw a few plants for sale locally.

Observations Workshop

The 2 questions I always ask plantsmen are "is it deer candy" and "will it overwinter", no to the first is usually all it takes to tempt me to buy. Last fall I bought 2 wisteria plants, stuck them in the ground along the rusty farm fence and forgot about them. Last week I remembered they were there, took a look and was amazed not only that they survived but at how much they had grown. Now I look every day.

First I thought the noise I heard was our plague of cicadas. Now I know it to be wisteria in full second year flight. Presumably, as with ivy, first it sleeps, then it creeps, then it runs like hell. Can't wait. Now, if only the climbing hydrangea would flower.

Toad