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Saturday, April 21, 2012

Wisteria

My wisteria is blooming and growing like crazy.
Since the carport was removed over a year ago....it has really gone wild.
But there is not a place for it to go.
It already covers the fence and support beam.
It's tendrils reach out searching for new heights to climb.
I do wish I had the perfect pergola for it to grow upon.
As it is, I have to trim it way back every summer to keep it under control.

Now, I know why my Grandmother used to get so upset at her neighbor's.
They had wisteria growing on their fence next to my Grandma's house and they never trimmed it.
Every so often my Grandma would go out and cut it to keep it from growing over on 
to the roof of her house.
She absolutely hated it. 
She said it was a menace. 
She said it would pull her house down if she let it.
I thought it beautiful till I lived in that house a little while and experienced how it 
did indeed try to come over and take over the house.  
It's long tendrils reaching out to grab on to the roof.

I have to say...I'd never plant it near my house.
This is closer than I like.
It's near the garage, planted by a previous owner.
As it is...it takes over my gate so that sometimes I have a hard time getting in and out.
Right now it is swarming with bumble bees.
Which I don't mind. Bumble bees are so big, fat, fuzzy and cute.

My wisteria is very pretty in bloom but rather plain when not blooming.
I wish mine looked like these examples below.
It can be quite amazing.

I wonder if these people realize that one day that wisteria is going to pull their house down.

Do you love wisteria or are you scared off by it's invasive nature?


24 comments:

Brenda Pruitt said...

I've never had it. But it's so romantic and lovely!
Brenda

Anonymous said...

I love wisteria although I've never had it myself. Probably not the best choice for my tiny condo yard. Beautiful photos.....thanks for sharing. Jana in Texas

No Place Like Home said...

A couple years ago I planted Wisteria around my pergola which is attached to my house. It is beautiful but you have me wondering.......I hope I didn't make a mistake in having it so close to the house. Your photos are lovely.

Unknown said...

Hmmm, what is the taste of wisteria honey? The photographs are lovely.

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

I love looking at it, but we don't have any.

the gardener's cottage said...

i had it at our last house nita and it is a beautiful menace. it would indeed take over anything if let be. just look at the one photo you showed where it is wrapping around those huge trees. everything planted at my house now is invasive too, bamboo and ivy especially. i sometimes wish for a tiny condo with a tiny patio that i can manage!

Michelle said...

We have it over a pergola on one side of our deck, it provides shade from the late day sun. It does indeed try to climb it's way on, under and inside our roof though. Beautiful when it's in bloom but very messy when fall time comes around and the leaves fall Everywhere!:)

Sally@threeblondeboyz said...

I love wisteria Nita! I know you can buy it here in Florida but I can never get hold of any. I've tried mail order too but have to wait! At least it grows quickly. Yours looks amazing. Sally xx

The enchanted home said...

Gorgeous!! Its such a romantic flower....have a great weekend.

Cindy said...

I love the looks of Wisteria, I would love to have some of it on my patio, but it doesn't grow here, I don't think.
It is beautiful, though, I agree with you.
Hugs, Cindy

Amy Chalmers said...

I have always loved it...but it also takes time to flower after you plant it..like 7 years....I planted one next to my parents front entry as I wanted it to climb up and cover the portico area...and it did but never bloomed until after they sold the house...and I saw it a few years as I would drive by to see if it flowered yet...and it was gorgeous...and then one day a new owner ripped it out. End of story...

Sonya@Beyond the Screen Door said...

I think it's one of the most romantic blooms. Such a shame it is so unruly! But it's so pretty when blooming. You're photos are beautiful, Nita!

Sixty-Fifth Avenue said...

Your wisteria is beautiful Nita! I don't see it around here, we are in zone 5, I will have to look it up. No room for a plant like this in our yard although we did plant climing hydrangeas on the side of the garage, I guess they can get crazy too.

Ricki Treleaven said...

We had a climbing rose and a climbing hydrangea. They were gorgeous, and they softened the exterior of our house. We were told that they would harm our mortar and brick. We were advised to remove them. But I love climbing flowers. Your images are stunning. I really miss the climbing hydrangea!

xo,
RJ

Pondside said...

When we lived in Germany I often saw wisteria growing up the side of houses and they were old houses - no one seemed worried about the house falling down. I have wisteria growing at the corner of our house. It is slow to leaf and bloom, but is is lovely. I try to keep ahead of the tendrils just because they go crazy otherwise!

An Urban Cottage said...

Funny, I just did a Wisteria post. These are some pretty amazing ones.

I'm not sure it will pull your house down but I've heard that it will lift up the roof of your porch. I think they just require constant maintenance.

vintage girl at heart said...

i love it and do not remember ever seeing it before i moved to oklahoma.
i would love to have it grow onto my junk shed..it's so pretty.

Nancy's Daily Dish said...

We had a wisteria bush at a home we lived in 10 years ago. It was planted in a weird place, left to be a bush rather than climb. I installed an iron fence around the swimming pool it was near and from that time on I had to cut it back AT LEAST once every week. I don't think there is anything that grows so fast. The gate on the fence (entrance to the pool area) was about 4' from it and within days the new spurts of growth would reach out and wind around the posts. Had I let it go we'd not be able to get in the fence.
I'd still love to have one somewhere where it was free to grow and wind...who can resist the images you've shown. Despite the fact that it required so much cutting back I still conjure up images like you've shown rather than what we actually lived with when I think of Wisteria! I guess I'm a hopeless romantic!

Donna W said...

Hi Nita, You could try Wisteria frutescens, American wisteria. It’s less aggressive and invasive so there is less maintenance. The vines are shorter and the flowers are a little more compact. The good news is that it’s native to much of the U.S. Including OK. Check it out at: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=WIFR

Jojo said...

I have it near my house and I LOVE IT though I do have to confess that I prune it constantly. Honestly, it's forgiving and when I do the harshest cutback, repeat blooms appear - throughout the summer!!!

My mom created a wisteria tree in the middle of her yard. It was one of the most graceful things ever and a lovely work of art. It too took a lot of pruning and constant trimming but it was a lovely way to enjoy wisteria without letting it take over the landscape.

Jann said...

I adore Wisteria...the smell is sooo inviting and so strong....beautiful plant...but I have heard it gets really woody and takes over...but then again...look at it's beauty

Teresa said...

Stunning- My wisteria is blooming too...love how each year it gets better and better-
Thanks for sharing

Erin said...

thanks for letting me know about your wisteria experience. I've never planted it but would like to when I get a house this summer. I didn't realize it's intrusive nature so now I plant it far away from the house on a trellis, maybe.

TinaTx said...

I love Wistera! I had one at my last house but hubby insisted I plant it in the center of the yard and keep it cut back so that it didn't grab on to the fence or tree. (he is not a fan)It was where I could see it from my kitchen window. It can be really invasive but it is beautuful!