What's going on in the garden

My Wisteria

It is now mid May and a lot has been happening. We had some almost Summer weather until about a week ago and since more rain and what we call here "grey in grey". Before the rainy season arrived my wisteria managed to flower. It grows on metal wires running the length of the home. We bought it about 8 years ago and have found out since that it is the Japanese variety. Apparently they go round in the other direction to the Chinese sort. As we had such a mild Winter - only really one big snowfall and almost no frost - it was quite early this year and flowered wonderfully as you can see in the photos. That is the advatage.

Disadvantages of Wisteria are more. It starts when the flowers are finished. They drop off. If you are lucky and it does not rain you can sweep them up and throw them away. If the rain comes, then you have to scrap the sludgy dead flowers off the ground. Second disadvantage is the Summer months. Our Wisteria feels very happy where he is but starts going on investigations which means growing up the neighbours balcony upstairs and over the entrance. My neighbour thinks it very pretty but I told her to cut it away. Unfortunately Wisteria has a habit of strangling anything that comes in its way including the metal supports of the upstairs balcony. Next disadvantage is when you have to put the light on in the rooms opposite on a sunny summer day as the wisteria blocks the light coming through the window.

Last Summer hubby gave it a short back and sides. We cut it down quite radically. Almost too much as it seems we cut stalks we should not have cut. Have no fear, wisteria compensates and by Autumn he was back to where he was before the haircut. Last disadvantage is that it looses its leaves in Autumn. This means two months of sweeping the leaves up and hoping they do not get wet in the meanwhile.

The clematis flowered once again this year. It is the alpine sort, small flowers, but makes a nice leafy show when the flowers are gone. Over the past two years it did not really want to flower, but another sign of a mild Winter this year and it flowered again.

Judging by the visitors we have had to the blackberries this year, it looks like it will be a fruitful year. The little green blackberries are already showing. The bees seemed to really enjoy their visits to this part of the garden.

Whilst all the flowering and animal action was taking place on the sunny side of the garden, my hostas started growing in their shady places. They are handy plants, covering ground and also have a flower show during their growing phase. At the moment I am leaving the garden to itself a bit. It is rainy which means I do not have to bother too much with watering. Just sprinkle a few snail corns now and again to keep them under control.

My cats like the garden especially as they always find something interesting in the earth or between the bushes. Tabby seems to be wondering what to do next.