Thursday, 11th May, 2023
The rhododendrons this year are probably not going to give us a good display. They suffered terribly in last summer’s drought. Many died and others have not fully recovered and are reluctant to open their sparse buds. I hope there will be something to show later this month. On the other hand, the wisteria is thriving. These are the blooms to the left of the front door, which is just beyond the right edge of the picture. There is a mirror image on the other side of the door! Once the blooms have faded, there follows vigorous growth of leaves and fronds throughout the whole summer and autumn. These require weekly trimming, taming and tying back. This wisteria dates back to at least 1948, when the house was restored after a lightning strike set fire to it and destroyed its upper storey. Who knows whether it was planted before that fire?