Last Thursday morning, as removal men packed up a great deal of our lives, Robert & I had to leave the busyness that was our soon to be old house and make our way over to the new house for the inventory to take place. The inventory is a very important part of renting a house and it is vital that attention is paid or things could get sticky later on down the line.
Robert is very serious about inventory’s and insisted I be there when I really wanted to be at the old house making sure the move was going smoothly. But as Robert insisted I left the men for a couple of hours in the capable hands of several family members.
We were greeted at the new house by a lovely lady who was there in a professional capacity to take us over every nook and cranny of the house. This task manifests itself as going over every square inch of the house and having an unbiased third party write it all down. In short it can take a very long time. And on that day I was excited and not in the mood for an inventory. Not. In. The. Mood.
My not being in the mood’ness frustrated Robert as he tried to explain how important it was that we BOTH pay attention to what was going to go in to the inventory as we really only get one chance to have it done.
I agreed, I focused……and then I saw that we have Wisteria, in flower, growing along the back of our new house.
It was at precisely this point that I lost the plot entirely raced out in to the garden towards my new unsuspecting landlord, who was merrily chatting to my Mother, and declared that there was Wisteria growing up and along the back of the house.
He smiled gently, not making me feel at all embarrassed, and agreed that there was indeed Wisteria growing up and along the back of the house.
I think I’ve waited all my life for this.
In fact I know I’ve waited all my life for this. There is a Wisteria bush at the old house, which is beautiful, but there is something about it growing up the walls of a house that taps in to the dreamer in me.
As a very keen gardener and a lover of romantic outdoor spaces I have been waiting for the opportunity to grow Wisteria myself in this way. And now I don’t have to as it is already there and thriving. What I have to do is look after it and I know I can do that very well indeed.
Instant happiness along a wall.
It’s grown since we arrived, I’m sure of it.
Along the house from the Wisteria and tangled up in another branch of the plant is a huge flash of ivy. I’ve spoken to the landlord and I may take this back a bit. It is very tall and is eclipsing part of the Wisteria plant which is a shame.
Wisteria should not have competition. It should have its own space. Space to spread, grow, flower and be generally magnificent.
I am ready for the job of training this plant to grow gently and romantically along the width of the back portion of the house. I’ve found some great info on looking after Wisteria right here and I look forward to taking you along with me as this beauty and I become firm friends.
Have you grown or tended to Wisteria before?
Have you any pearls of wisdom for me?
What if the house behind it needs painting or repair work? I’ve always wondered that.
If you have grown Wisteria and have some pictures I’d love to see them too. The best place to upload them is on to my Facebook fan page. The link for that is below this post.
Wow, I’m loving this new house and garden so far.
And I love you. Thank you so much for reading.
Cherry x
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There’s something so fairy tale like about wisteria. I know exactly what you mean.
Just to say wishing you all the very best in your lovely new home. The Wisteria is gorgeous, as are your little ones, growing so fast xx
Your new house is beautiful!
I know absolutely nothing about growing anything but I do love wisteria. My neighbor across the street planted some by her front garden gate and I look forward every year to its blossoming. Honestly, it never ever occurred to me to plant my very own.
Ivy can and will harm brick and mortar but I don’t know if this is also true of wisteria or not. Perhaps you can add an arbor for the wisteria to climb?
Enjoy all of the magic of having a new garden that is full of mysteries! Each mystery will show itself in turn as spring becomes summer becomes autumn! Hope you have some evergreens to enhance the charm of winter and of snow!
Hugs!
On a boring note may I bring to your attention the Tenancy Deposit Scheme which protects tenants over issues including inventory items so long as the tenancy agreement has commenced since early April 2007? I don’t propose to go into detail here but this is a fantastic piece of legislation for which I believe you can thank the Citizen’s Advice Bureau for their unstinting, and largely voluntary, work. (I love wisteria too.)
I’m loving the sneak peek pics of the house!!
Wisteria is wonderful. I always remember a house in the village I grew up in had it. I always used to say “when I grow up I want to live in a house like that”. No house with Wisteria yet but I’m doing a climbing rose!
Hi cherry i have got a wisteria they are lovely x
Your new house looks so good!! I’ve just planted a pink wisteria to grow over a pergola in my back garden and I’m going to let one grow over the side of the house. I looooove wisteria. But get rid of that ivy as it took over our whole house and now we need a new roof because of the ivy. There were stems the size of a full grown tree growing through the walls and roof as something in a horror movie. Love to see more pictures of the house, totally my style and I fully understand your move ;o)
Hiya,
My house is covered in wisteria! It grows so quickly we have to cut it back twice year!
http://diaryofatinyholder.blogspot.com/2009/05/bargains-galore-golf-and-pretty-flowers.html
I don’t have any particular tips really, but you have to be careful not to cut it back too vigorously.
Just enjoy it! x
Sian
I adore the look and smell of wisteria. We owned a charming Cape Code style home in Greensboro, NC (USA) which had wisteria growing on our white picket fence in the backyard. I loved it! Enjoy… your new home looks lovely.
Wisteria is beautiful, but watch it closely. It literally pulled down an entire fence row. Prune it religiously or it will overtake everything the tendrils can reach out and grab.
Hope you have lots of outdoor space and much, more light inside! Can’t wait to see more pictures of your new home.
And,just to be personal – is renting more than buying the thing to do in the UK?
was reading the current edition of The English Home this p.m, and came across a small article about Wisteria.
Thought I’d share with you the advice they give.
..’The RHS recommends cutting back new growth to five or six leaves above the main stem in July or August, to keep the size of the vine in control. During early winter, trim that same growth down to five or six buds, cutting at an angle just above the bud. Later, in january or february, to ensure spring flowers are not obscured by leavse, cut back further, leaving just two or three buds remaining on the preceding years’s growth.”’
which sounds like a lot of cutting, but I’m sure this is what the husband does and ours always flowers nicely.
Anyway. If you want to read this article for yourself, it’s The May edition of The English Home, p 121
Just dreamy…You lucky girl!
Beautiful. You lucky thing.
We’re currently in the process of moving, you can see why if you have a nosy at my blog (an INSANE situation)and I’d forgotten about the inventory. Oh God. I’m dreading that. I hope the rest of your move and settling in goes very smoothly. Enjoy your new home.
Wisteria is indeed lovely, but better do good research on it’s care and maintenance. I’ve heard it can be as destructive as it is beautiful – very weighty and it can take down structures it might cling on to. Have fun!
I have a wisteria growing through a lilac tree in my back garden, when they flower together it is simply the most beautiful thing in the world (well aside from my darling son). Totally recommend adding a potted lilac to the mix.
Ooooh…. a Wisteria – how utterly fantastic! Again, you and I are SO similar Cherry!! If it wasn’t for the huge age difference I’d have said we were twins separated at birth!!!! It’s my dream, too, to live in a house with Wisteria along the walls – I’d better hurry and try and achieve this dream before it’s too late….
It’s certainly on the ‘Bucket List’!!! I just know you’re going to be so, so happy in your new house Cherry. Following it all with great interest – Jennie, Lincolnshire.
Even the name Wisteria is lovely.
ah, a lovely Cherry post to cheer me up. Been a tough morning so far.
We have wisteria growing on our garage, it’s looking fabulous at the moment. Which is impressive, as two years ago we cut it right back as we had a window and door put in the garage wall, so everything had to be cleared away for teh work to be done.
But it’s back, and it’s lovely. The scent in the air in the evening its gorgeous.
I don’t do anything to our Wisteria, but the husband cuts it back twice a year I believe, I’ll ask him. Whatever he does works, as we always get flowers. The only thing you have to worry about is frost, it can be truly cruel and snatch flowers before they have the chance to burst into life. Other than that, when they’re well established – as yours is – they are pretty good at looking after themselves.
Your new home looks lovely. I wish you many years of happiness and joy in it
x
I bought a wisteria about 5 years ago and was sad to think it had perished in the snows as it was beginning to climb nicely up the shed front, but thankfully it started to show signs of life again and in now about to flower! I’d definately chop the Ivy back a little though, it can take over.
x
love the house and garden so far cherry. we had a wisteria at the back of the house also, until work and alterations were carried out and the workmen ripped it down………FURY!!!!
anyway enjoy yours, my replacement is doing okay but nothing like the old one, the smell that used to come into the house on a gentle breeze was wonderful, We used to trim ours back twice a year and it seemed to do well and flowered and grew all over the wall, not sure if that is what should be done but one old man down the lane reccommended we do it as he remembered the son of the old dear who lived here before doing it.
cannot wait for more about the house. xxx
I love wisteria too. I had one that trailed over my garage and into a blossom tree. As for the care of it, I just left it to grow where it may and it rewarded me by flowering beautifully. Enjoy your new home Cherry. Hugs Mandy x
How lovely
And also, how lovely that you have direct contact to the landlord… we had that in our old house and it just made everything so much easier because if we wanted to do something (like dig up a small border along the edge of the lawn!) we could ask directly. Every other place we have lived, including our current house, has been arranged through a letting agent and the landlords always seem to live abroad somewhere… which means it is sometimes so hard. Like our inventory check was just a printed sheet of paper which we had to tick or amend, and getting someone in to fix the banister and bedroom radiator took longer than it should. And then, of course, we have our 6 monthly check and the letting agent literally walks in, has one quick peek in the kitchen and leaves… she never looks around or asks if everything is ok. I think this is a real issue with renting through an agent rather than direct from the landlord as bot tenants and landlords often have no idea whether something is truly ok or not. Which is my long way of saying that I’m glad you got to meet the actual landlord and have such a good inventory check… well worth it, even if your heart wasn’t in it at the time xx