Wisteria

A chilly wind blew through us this morning as we walked through the parkland. Around the lakes of Straw's Bridge to check on the swan, still sitting on her nest. A sad sight followed however, as there was a dead swan laying beside one of the lakes. There has been a dead swan floating among the reeds of another of the lakes, for a week or more, and this second death starts to look a little worrying. We have sometimes seen 'bits' of dead swans among the undergrowth which are probably the result of fox attacks, but these are different inasmuch as there don't appear to be any marks on the bodies. We'll see what happens next.
Better news as the Great Reed Warbler is still singing his heart out on the lake where the swan is incubating her eggs. Then as we came away from the lakes, we passed a red-flowered Hawthorn tree growing beside a private garden which is shot through with the stems of a beautiful Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis).

Wisteria is another member of the pea family and is well-known to gardeners everywhere. This one seems particularly showy as it's violet blooms intermingle with the red of the Hawthorn.

Native to East Asia, Wisteria is a very hardy and strong grower. In fact, the largest Wisteria vine known, is supposed to cover an area of more than an acre and is estimated to weigh over 250 tons. This one is much smaller, but no less beautiful.