Winning ways with Wisteria

WITH its pastel shades and delicious scent, wisteria is undoubtedly romantic. In late spring and early summer the sight of walls draped in the pendulous blooms of this vigorous, twining climber is pure poetry.

But a closer look at the plant labels will reveal that many wisteria can reach huge proportions–a little off-putting if your plot is more modest than mammoth. Luckily, careful cultivar selection and judicious (and regular) pruning means you can still grow this lovely plant–as a small tree or even in a patio pot.

To get the best from wisteria, give it what it wants. First and foremost, that means sun, so you’ll need to choose the right