Regular follows of my posts may wonder why I haven’t been posting every day to show you the development of my treasured wisteria. Usually it is in full flower by the end of March and here we are in the middle of April and still I haven’t shared any images with you.Sadly there is a reason; and the reason is that in February, the buds were already beginning to swell – there was not colour on the buds but they were soft; then came the blast of icy cold (minus 12°C) temperatures with wind that was relentless and also coming from almost all points on the compass so that nowhere in the garden seemed to be protected. I’ve already shown you that perhaps half of the Trachelospermum jasminoides in the garden looks dead, and only time will tell if it will recover or NOT.
Here is what the wisteria on the pergola over the terrace looks like today.
The pergola over the terrace – Very sad, isn’t it?
I’m hoping that some of the secondary buds may still flower or even that some of the foliage buds may change to be flowers. I just hope we do get some shade this year.
This is maybe the only flower on Wisteria ‘Prolific’
It must have been protected from the wind or maybe the bud had not already formed in February
The white wisteria on the east side of the house always flowering later than the purple; partly because the white variety is always later and partly because there is less sun so the buds form more slowly.
The white wisteria on the east side is beginning to flower
Here’s what the Wisteria looked like at the end of March 2017.
End of March 2017
I can hardly bare to look at the wisteria, it is usually one of the joys of my gardening year!
More strange weather. This week we had more rain – it must have come with wind from the desert as everything is covered in yellow sand
This dwarf bearded Iris always surprises me; it flowers before the larger varieties and as it’s dwarf and dark I often don’t see it.
But despite the weather the tulips are filling the garden with colour.
More of the tulip buds are opening each day
Above: looking across the Large Island to the upper slope path.
Orange Ballerina and purple Negrita make a great combination
In the woodland I’ve mixed the colours of the tulips to give a rich, joyful colourful view
What’s flowering in your garden today.
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
Sad about your wisteria, I hope it recovers. But your tulips are making up for it, they’re beautiful!
Yes, I’m trying to be positive about the wisteria and the tulips are spectacular this year.
Commiserations on the Wisteria. Perhaps the second flowering will make up for it. Amelia
It does usually flower well during the summer but, not in the same spectacular way as when it doesn’t have leaves. At this point I’d be happy to see some leaves.
What a great shame about the wisteria. I hope it recovers soon, and provides you with some beautiful shade for summer. The tulips are lovely though, particularly the ones in the first photo.
The plus side of its not being a particularly warm spring is that the tulips are lasting well in the garden.
Still gorgeous and the pruning of the wisteria is spectacular, flowers or not! Tulips just lovely. Looking forward to your vase. I feel certain the Wisteria will be fine.
I don’t think the wisteria will die, but I have to admit I look forward to its flowering all winter. Still the tulips are making up for it.
Christina, my brother is going to be in Viterbo in a week or so. Can you recommend what to see?
Top of the list would be Villa Lante, if he has a car also Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola and Sacro Bosco Bomarzo. The peony farm in Vitorchiano will probably still be open. Let me know when he’s coming. Maybe we could meet?
Will let you know I am not sure when.
I’m so sorry about your wisteria. Plants typically have enough energy to produce a second set of leaves…so fingers crossed.
Finger’s crossed indeed!
Oh your poor wisteria Christina. I did wonder. In a previous house our entire end gable wall was covered in it. About one year in three the whole lot got frosted so I recognise the sad look. And the emotion that goes with it.
I suppose we’ve just been lucky so far, we’ve had late frosts but they haven’t had any effect – the weather this winter has been exceptional.
The tulips are so spectacular! Such a delight to see them. I hope for warm sunshine and a fully recovered wisteria.
We’re having some warmer days but not really consistently.
It’s too bad the cold weather blast was so ill-timed. I hope the white-flowered Wisteria comes through for you. As to the rain arriving with sand, that’s just weird! (Not that I’d turn down rain in any form…)
Most of the white wisteria was removed to make way for the new indoor/outdoor space so even if it does flower it won’t make a huge splash.
Such a shame when an important part of the garden is affected badly by the weather, I hope it recovers and you get your much needed shade for the summer. Your tulips are amazing, so colourful, I just wish I could grow them!
There are few real highlights in the garden (the extremes of temperature make it that way) so not having the wisteria this year is very sad.
Your garden is stunning with the dwarf iris and tulips. I am sorry to hear about your beloved wisteria. It is always sad for me, when something in the garden does not flower. I hope it is just delayed and recovers.
The Iris aren’t dwarf Donna. Dutch Iris are particularly tall and elegant. they are about 70/80 cm
I am sorry about your wisteria, I understand how you feel. I have a wisteria trained as a tree in a large pot and its flowering is one of the highlights of the spring. It has moved house with us so there is also something of an emotional attachment. It was further behind yours so, as far as I can tell, it was saved the worst of the cold winds etc.
The fact that the wisteria gets any sun available even in winter means that the buds always swell early; it is usually in full flower by the end of March so the cold winds in mid-February were fatal this year.
So sorry about the wisteria! I am hoping it will fully recover. Meanwhile, your tulips are gorgeous! Many of my own plants are covered with yellow dust, but it is not sand, but rather pollen! My oak trees drop long chains of pollen everyone here call “wormmies.” They are everywhere!
The yellow sand has fallen before but maybe not quite as yellow as this time.
Christina, I’m sorry for your Wisteria. I know it’s your garden favorite. The same flourishes something or if next year it will flourish twice. I know why my Wisteria never blooms: because of the cold and the icy winds that it supports. You have the white Wisteria that begins to bloom and is a treasure. Has it rained you with desert sand? It’s strange. But the beautiful dwarf bearded Iris testifies. Yes, Chistina, Tulips orange Ballerina and Tulips purple Bold complement each other perfectly: they are gorgeous. All your garden is full of beautiful tulips of beautiful colors in bloom: it is divine. Greetings from Margarita.
The rain full of sand was very strange Margarita. Does that ever happen in Spain?
Yes, Christina, especially in the Canary Islands that geographically are not far from the coast of Morocco, when the wind blows from the Sahara Desert, that wind reaches the Canary Islands loaded with dust in suspension that we call “Calima” and it removes a lot of visibility. If it rains, then the rain drags it and puts everything lost of sand from the Sahara. In the Peninsula it occurs a few times in Tarifa, which is next to the Strait of Gibraltar and is an area of international surfing for its great winds and waves and once the winds have come from the Sahara and the same rain. But nothing more. If you have any other question, do it to me. I gladly answer it. 🙂 Take care. Greetings from Margarita.
I stayed in Tarifa once a long time ago. Thanks for the happy memory.
Christina, I am very happy that you have unwittingly awakened a happy memory by naming Tarifa. That you enjoy a lot with your happy memory. And thanks to you. 🙂 Greetings from Margarita.
Oh what a shame about your wisteria – as long as it is just a setback for this year and it is not permanently affected, like your trachelospermum seems to be.How are your salvias doing now? Your tulips ae looking great in their abundance, especially that strip at the edge of your woodland
I think the Wisteria will survive. It is very tough. But looking at the bare stems is very hard when it should be leading up now.
I have had a brief inspection of mine today after reading about yours, as although it is against the wall of the house (facing west) it would still have been directly exposed to that ferociously cold north wind. Too soon to tell yet although we should see some swelling of buds early next month
I think yours will be fine if the buds weren’t already swollen. Mine usually flowers at the end of March, I imagine your usually flowers end of May?
Yes, usually in full bloom by the end of May, Christina, and the last couple of days heat have seen the buds swelling nicely, so all is well 😊
That’s good news.
Oh how sad that your wisteria is having a year off Christina – hopefully next spring it will more than make up for it. Love the colour of that iris complete with dust. I don’t think it came as far as us this time.
The sand reached Germany. It was strange because it didn’t seem that windy. Must have been at a high altitude.
You got the Sahara sand too, then. Your Wisteria really is a sorry sight and I do hope it produces more leaves for shade. Your tulips are perhaps little consolation, but are quite amazing this year! 🙂
The tulips really responded to the colder autumn and it’s not too hot for them now, although today is warm, very warm.
I am so sorry for you, especially since I experienced the same thing myself last year. I hope it recovers brilliantly and that you at least get cover for the summer (we used a lilac sail over our pergola until the wisteria took over). Meanwhile your tulips look lovely!
The sail sounds like a brilliant idea, but I’m not sure how that could work here.
So sorry for your glorious wisteria I do hope it recovers. Thank goodness for tulips.
The tulips have been their best ever this year. Some have flowered after being dormant for several years. It is a riot of colour.
We were hit with late freezes two years in a row and it killed all the flower buds each time. Last year when it happened again I was so fed up I cut it to the ground and was done with it! Yours will be fine, and mine has returned in another spot from a root sucker. The buds are swelling today and I’m glad to still have it.
Enjoy the Netherlands!