Re: Wisteria
Charles Dills wrote:
> The best and finest Wisteria around here is a hundred year
> > old specimen in back of a hundred year old house. Age can't be a
> > factor in blooming. This one blooms profusely every year. But I
> > wanted you to see the size of the trunk. It must be at least fifteen
> > inches across, maybe twenty!. Enjoy!! ---Chas---
> >
> Marvellous Chas!
> The most memorable wisteria I have seen was espaliered over the face of
> one of the college buildings of Kings College Cambridge (UK). The
> building is I think early 18th century, but how old the climber was I
> don't know - it was certainly enormous and most venerable looking and
> was full of flower.
>
> I remember a few years ago, when I was still running a pruning busines I
> was once asked to tame and train an old wistaria. As it was completely
> engulfing the front of a large two-story house I had to decline. It was
> really like some nightmare sea-creature, sending immense tentacles
> (trunks a thick as my thigh) from the remains of the veranda roof, where
> it had presumably started, right up to peer in the upstairs window and
> thrust enquiring tips under the edge of the roof..
>
> In fact the ancient house was so engulfed by it I wondered if it could
> safely be removed without the whole building collapsing. The lady who
> owned it seemed surprised I was unwilling to undertake the task!!!! I
> never did hear the outcome, what she seemed to need was a couple of
> stalwart contractors with at least chainsaws and a cherry picker.
Just like to join in and rave about our (french) monumental wisteria.
Last weekend participated in a plantshow near Perpignan at the foot of
the Pyrenees. The festivity (in Ille sur Tet) was dominated by a giant
Wisteria on a southfacing wall of an old Hospice which covered an area
of 30m by 10m high with a trunk of 40cm diametre. Its age remained a
mystery (even l'office de Tourisme could not give any details on the
subject); but could be anywhere between 100 and 200 years. As no
appearent pruning had been done recently, growth was chaotic, but
flowering abundant.
Another feature in this village was a 150m long massif with
Zantedeschia, aethiopica in flower along small waterstream. This
indicates a privileged microclimat which we only find in a few areas in
the South of France
Greetings
--
Lauw de Jager
BULB'ARGENCE, 30300 Fourques, France
Region: Provence/Camargue Climat: Zone 9a (Mediterranean)
Tel: 33 466 016 519 Fax: 33 466 011 245
Web : http://www.bulbargence.com/
mailto: de Jager@bulbargence.com
