NUL ISTE EI

Wa
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NEWS photo Paul McGrath

LISA DAVIDSON of the Park and Tilford Gardens staff in North
Vancouver works on 2 rhododendron bush.

THERE ARE few plants
that one only has to look at
iO experience stress reduc-
tion.

Think of the graceful weeping
willow (salix babylonica) dipping
its lower branches into the calm
waters of a slow-moving stream, or
the soft green light created under
the mature canopy of a Japanese
maple (acer palmarum).

Another plant with this special
property is the wisieria. The way it
wraps or drapes itself over the
contours of an arbor, fence, or
along the eaves of the house, in-
vokes feelings of comfort and
solace.

Like a blanket over the troubles
of the world, the sight of a
healthy, mature wisteria can
cleanse our souls and minds of
worry and concern. Unless the
damn thing won’t come into
flower. One of the most commonly
asked questions relates to the lack
of flowers on a given plant and
one of the plants we give up on
most often is the wisteria. Too
bad, for it really is a thing of
beauty even when not in bloom.

So, what do we have to do for
the reluctant bloomer? First, buy
the right plant. Lock for plants
started from cuttings or grafts
rather than those started from
seed. Seed grown wisterias can
take up to seven years to produce
flowers.

HOLLAND

NCOU

Next, let’s look at the growing

VER’S LARGEST SELECTION

conditions required to make your
wisteria perform at its best.

Although I've often seen

over the
garden gate

Geoff Tobiasson
Be

wisterias flower in only half a
day’s sun and even in bright shade,
they usually prefer a full day’s sun.
For best results choose a location
that faces south or south west and
will be exposed to at least six hours
of direct sun.

There doesn’t seem to be a pref-
erence for any particular type of
soil condition other than good
drainage. Even though decent
drainage is a must, this plant needs
sufficient water during its critical

oT

HERITAGE

LIFESTYLES

Sight of | healthy wisteria
cleanses soul of

stress

flowering and growing period.

They tend to suffer from
chlorosis (vellowing leaves) with
exposure to too much lime; not
ofte: a problem in this acid bath
of a region known as the Pacific
WNurthwest. If yellowed or pale
leaves do appear, try some iron
sulphate (found in most moss
killers) around the roots.

The right fertilizer may be all
that is needed to bring your piant
into flower. Phosphorus is the ma-
jor nutrient needed in flower pro-
duction and is the middle number
found in a fertilizer formulation
(1-16-0 equals N-P-K equals
nitrogen/phosphorus/ potassium).

Bonemeal (1-16-0) is an organic
fertilizer, high in phosphorus and
trace elements such as calcium and
iron. If you have an overly acid
soil, bonemeal can feed the
flowers, lower the PH (acidity) and
guard against chlorosis, all in one
application.

The most important aspect of
care needed for the best bloom
production in a wisteria is pruning.
Pruning back at least 50 per cent
of your plant’s new growth in
mid-summer will encourage the
formation of next year's flower
buds.

If, after all this, your plant still
refuses to flower, try root pruning
it. Pick a point 24 to 36 inches
away from the main stem and
draw a circle. Next drive a spade
all the way into the root zene
See Wisteria Page 12

Ma,

ee

NTERS

vA OF OUTDOO

€ ——s>,_-sC OVER G0 STYLES. “eal SRA. OVER 20

. OF CONCRETE = sect epee ad STYLES
PLANTERS prey ete OF WOOD
otton, sites
$325.95 2 39.95 £

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