Wisteria

Is it the 1st day of Spring?  I don’t really know since I’m barefoot and in shorts.  The warm weather is really plumping up the wisteria.  Here’s how it looked last week on March 13, 2010. Kind of looks like pale strawberries doesn’t it?  Today, March 20,2010, the buds have really come along. There are 2 vines planted with hopes they will spiral up the pergola and shade us with wonderfully perfumed petals.  So far, so good.  One vine was given to me by my dad years ago.  When the yard was reconfigured, it needed to be moved.  Its survival was questionable; but it pulled through and now blooms great.  The youngest vine was purchased as bare root in January 2009 and looks as though it will also thrive. The pergola is in the background beyond the sweet peas, nectarines, and one incredibly sweet, fluffy, darling kitty.  An old nurseryman here in Bakersfield recommends cutting the vine back several times during the growing season to encourage continuous blossoms.  His vines bloom as much as 5 times from spring to fall. Bring on the shade.  Summer is on its way.