THE wisteria

When we bought our first (and only) family home, a wisteria was growing at the back corner of the house over a rather aged gate in a lattice fence which served as a barrier from that side of the house to the more private area in the back.

Some ten years later, I was making major changes along that side of the house, which included replacing the now rather broken gate and fence with a home built garden seat. I had already moved the gate and fence (for privacy) to the front corner of that side of the house.

In the process of excavation I removed part of a large and (to me) redundant root. The wisteria. Next spring it grew mightily and covered the surrounds of the garden seat with vines. leaves and flowers. A will to live.

A little more than tn years ago we sold that house, and bought the apartment. A piece of the wisteria was saved by S, potted up and went with us. Not quite with us. It went to the back of the house where our daughters, serially, stayed. When we later bought the beach house and started to develop it, we looked for the pots with saved plants.

Down a bank at the back of the property in Arch Hill, and covered over. The wisteria pot looked empty. Nevertheless, I brought it north, and next spring green shoots grew. We hd nowhere to plant it at that time, so it remained in a pot.

Some years later, it again appeared dead, only to resume growing when freed from the weeds in the pot. Last year we planted it at the front of the house.

This year THE wisteria has forgiven me all, and has produced its flowers once more.
The power of life.