Wisteria & lazy days

There is nothing I enjoy more in Spring than blooming Wisteria. Now that I am back from a wonderfully relaxing ocean break with some girlfriends, I feel refreshed and delighted to get back to blogging and also to be welcomed home to this....

 I apologize now for the Iphone pics ;)

This is the first week of Wisteria blooms and it is definitely making for one lazy gardener. The tools are down, the gloves are tossed and the galoshes kicked off. Its now time for Lounging out on my well loved stone patio under a canopy of bursting, deliciously fragrant blooms. Surrounded by the lushness of the garden beyond in my own perfect little retreat. Now all I need is a tall glass of iced-tea (ok wine) and a few new gardening magazines (and maybe a clean house to ease the lazy-day guilt!)...Ahhh total springtime bliss! Its days like this I really do live for, that make you stop with the rushing of responsibility and enjoy the simple things.

Looking up from my lazy spot on the patio...ahhh bliss!

About my wisteria....
I have 3 different types of Wisteria, 5 plants in total. Chinese wisteria vines (Wisteria sinensis) slowest growing out of the three, Japanese wisteria vines (Wisteria floribunda) the one I have on back trellis is by far the largest of the lot and lastly the American wisteria vines (Wisteria frutescens).
All nearly ten years old and very well established. Four are trained to climb and snake through my large trellis that covers the back patio. I also have another one out the front that covers the small trellis above the garage door. It has taken to both shade and sun locations, I find the sunnier the spot the earlier the blooms.

Japanese wisteria vines (Wisteria floribunda) always the first to bloom

One thing I have learnt though, is that Wisteria roots love to spread and are rather invasive. They have grown under the stone patio which has now formed huge cracks. (I like to call this shabby chic character as to stay positive about one of my fave plants) They have a pretty aggressive root system, so move away from foundations, even concrete is not safe!

I like to give my wisteria a good cut back every few years, it actually loves it and is all the more thicker the next year. It is an extremely fast grower and puts out tentacle like branches, that will literally start climbing up anything it reaches. We had one start to climb our drain pipe last year, it was easiest to remove while still green and limber, but once it reaches about 1/2 in in diameter it becomes woody and not supple, making its wrapping and weaving branches hard to pull out of where ever it has started to twist around. The vines will also over time, mesh together to create one thick super vine. So really train it where you want it and cut back what you don't. I am constantly cutting it back through summer.

Here is a mesh of 5 different vines slowly becoming one, its huge!

Wisteria have to be one of the easiest plants to grow from cuttings, just cut of a new shoot that it sends up from the ground near the main trunk and poke it in a pot of soil, sprout the roots and voila a baby Wisteria plant. I cut these shoots back as soon as I see them, if not they will grow to be upwards of 10ft and will start growing around anything. We went on vacation last year and in two weeks it had twisted shooters all around my patio furniture...crazy!

They truly are the lazy day plant, when the sun is shinning and when the warm breeze blows the perfume your way, all I want to do is lay down and enjoy a Nana nap. One of my favorite simple joys of spring!

I am giggling, as this went from a Wordless Wednesday post to a short little study on the plant. Guess I had more to say than I realized...lol!

Some other great posts on growing Wisteria
http://www.greenzonelife.com/climbing-plants/wisteria.html
http://ewainthegarden.blogspot.com - Beautiful Wisteria eye-candy
http://tinaramsey.blogspot.com - In the Garden blog, Building a Wisteria Arbor
http://www.michigangardener.com  - Great info on Wisteria basics

Plant adventures with Magnolia's

Cut the ribbon, drink the champagne! My very first (of many) plant studies...whoo I'm finally starting this!
I posted a few months back that I have over 100 different varieties of plants in my garden (yes overwhelming) but I need to learn about them so I can better look after them (and quit killing them!).
I started by writing a list of all my plants front and back. This list contained a number of descriptions, as quite a few of these plants (to me) did not even have names yet. What is that varigated evergreen slow-growing shrub, with beautiful white flowers? Time to start learning...
So long story short, thanks to my trusty Sunset Western Garden - plant guide (my go-to book for plants) all my plants now have names! Well, that's a start on my quest. Now off to research in depth about each plant....here we go!

I have decided to start with my absolute favorite...

The Magnolia Tree

 These were taken last week down at my favorite park, the smell was intoxicating!

First, some quick and interesting facts... 

• There are over 210 different species in the Magnolia genus (family) also known as the Magnoliaceae genus.
• Their origin is from south/east Asia and in areas of the America's both southern and central. 
• They can be dated back over 95 million years...yikes! 
• Magnolias came into existence before bee's and were originally pollinated by beetles (one reason why their petals are so thick). 
• They are named after a French botanist Pierre Magnol. 
• Magnolia bark is being used in a number of medical/dental studies for its preventative properties. 
• Its the state flower for Mississippi and Louisiana.

Now to get down to the juicy plant details...
I have decided to focus my study on just one, the one found in my backyard and the more common Magnolia found in the Pacific Northwest. The "Magnolia Soulangeana - Alexandrina" also known as a "Saucer Magnolia" or "Tulip tree" it is well know in this area as the later.

The Magnolia Soulangeana (soo-lan-jee-AH-nuh) is a small deciduous tree/large shrub hybrid, bred by French plantsman Étienne Soulange-Bodin (a precursor of the Société d'horticulture de Paris) in the early 1800's, by crossing a Magnolia denudata with M. liliiflora. It quickly spread through Europe over to Japan and Voila, we now have one of the most loved Magnolia's in the Northwest. Thanks Etienne for this French born beauty!
 This beautiful Magnolia, flowers early Spring with a dazzling show of white, pink, purple saucer shape blooms (buds and new flower bursts resemble tulips hence the nick-name). It produces waxy green oval shaped leaves on stubby stems which it looses in late fall. It is a beautiful feature tree for all seasons, while dormant in winter its branches are architecturally interesting, during spring its fragrant blooms are the star of my garden.




Growing loves for...
Magnolia Soulangeana - (Alexandrina is the sub-specie)

• loves sun to part shade and well drained soil, but water regularly. 
• Grows best in zones 5-9
• It needs little pruning and does not take very well to topping, its lower branches can be removed to create a more tree like shape (this is my absolute favorite place to sit in my yard during summer, great shade tree!) It is not a fast grower so cut with care.
• It is fairly wind and alkaline tolerant unlike most magnolia varieties which makes it a little more hardier than others. And deers stay away, added bonus!
• Loves compost/fertilizer, I use a kelp based application twice a year...loves it!
• It attracts bee's, butterflies and birds (I get hummers) with its beautiful fragrant flower. 
• Its roots love a mulch bed for protection (I use its own leaves) during winter, especially if the temps get below freezing which its been doing a lot here these last few winters.
• Its main threat is late spring frosts, which can damage petals. (see above pic, yellowing petals)
• Can grow 20-30ft high and wide at a moderate rate (I wish the previous owner knew that before they planted it right on the fence line...fooie! Hope my neighbors love it as much as I do)

Next to my tulip bulbs sprouting green shoots, there is nothing like a budding Magnolia tree to say...spring is on its way!

I wonder where my next Plant Adventure will take me? One plant down, only 99 more to go.....oh which one will it be?

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F) This is me, but man we've been getting frost/snow these last few winters and knock on wood, its doing fine!
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)

Some more helpful websites...
http://www.magnoliatreeearthcenter.org/ - great website for everything you need to know
http://landscaping.about.com/b/2008/04/28/magnolia-tree-care.htm - great Q&A Magnolia info here

Wonderful Magnolia reads...