The laburnum arch and the wisteria are in flower!

It is time to visit the Garden to see the laburnum arch in the Wilderness in flower. It is always a little later than laburnums in the town, probably because it is in a shady location overhung with trees. But it is still a magnificent show and when the sun is shining you can hear the bees buzzing. Laburnums come from the mountains of southern Europe from France to the Balkans and were introduced to the UK in 1560.

A surprise this year has been the flowering of a wisteria in the Dutch Garden. A line of wisteria was planted over 20 years ago but they have never properly flowered. There were a few flowers last year but it is the white wisteria that is looking and smelling spectacular this year. The wisterias were planted within a metal formwork to encourage the plants to grow as small trees. According to Oxford University Plants 400, wisteria was introduced in 1816 by John Reeves, Chief Inspector of Tea in Canton where he found it growing in a merchant's garden. When introduced to the UK they cost six guineas each which is about £870 in today's money. They took three years to flower - a lot less time than we have had to wait.