Backwoods Blog

WISTERIA

Backwoods Blog;

in the woods and on the road…

American Wisteria by the river…  

There is no such thing as spare time,
no such thing as free time,
no such thing as down time.
All you have is life time.
Go.

Henry Rollins
performance artist, Black Flag

Two weeks ago I was walking by the trellis that overlooks the river by the cabin and I noticed the wisteria was in bloom. This is remarkable, in that, in the twenty years since it was first planted, this is perhaps the second or third year it has blossomed. Apparently this is not uncommon. Although the plant is a vigorous grower and climber, it does not always bloom. Linda brought this to my attention, so I figured I’d better take some pictures while I can. The photos in this week’s blog are some of them. Here is a short description of the flower from the Farmer’s Almanac.

Wisteria is a high-climbing, long-lived vining plant with cascades of blue to purple flowers that look spectacular hanging from a pergola or archway in spring and early summer. However, this vine is a fast and aggressive grower—often reaching 30+ feet long—and is known to grow quite heavy. Wisteria vines will work their way into any crook or cranny they can reach, so it’s advised not to plant them too near your home. Wisteria flowers are beautifully fragrant, providing a feast for the senses. Blooms only appear on new growth. 

Henry Rollins’ real name is Henry Lawrence Garfield and he was born in 1961 (about my age, but I’m not saying). I accidentally picked up one of his books years ago titled Black Coffee Blues. I say, accidentally, because the only reason it caught my eye was that the title had “coffee” in it and the cool cover design. There was a funky coffee coaster on the cover and a few random coffee stains. He was a member of the punk band Black Flag in the late 70s and acquired a notorious reputation as a creative/independent. Rollins felt that life was a moving target and you had better hit it while you can as often as you can. We have the magnet version of his quotation (see above) stuck to our refrigerator door. I see it every time I open the freezer door to get some ice cream or look for frozen leftovers. Like wisteria that often blooms under fleeting circumstance the moments of our life-content can be just as elusive. As Henry says, “All you have is life time. Go.”

In the woods,

Dave

July 18, 2023

wisteria .1

wisteria .2

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