Sometimes, plants die, seemingly inexplicably. I always accept this as part of the cycle of life; some plants have longer lives than others. I usually enjoy the beauty or usefulness of a plant without worrying about its longevity.
It is sad, though, when a plant dies for no obvious reason. It’s even sadder when I don’t realise it has died until long after the sap stops circulating.
This is a photo of my wisteria, taken last September. It’s has been grown as a standard with the branches intertwined to form a trunk. It was here when we arrived and has reliably flowered during that time.
Other than pruning in spring to keep it in shape, I’ve left it alone to do its thing. Just look at those flowers!
But now it’s dead and I suspect it’s drowned due to the nearly constant rain we’ve had for months. It doesn’t have leaves. I’ve scraped the bark in various places but there’s no sign of green.
I’ll remove it and continue to gaze at photos of how it used to be. Meanwhile, life goes on and I’m now thinking about what to plant in its place. After I improve the drainage in that part of the garden, of course!