The Beauty of Wisteria
-Sadichchha Dhakhwa
Glancing upon the wisteria flower fills the soul with a sense of beauty. The perfume of the flower intoxicates all those in its vicinity when it blooms in the late spring season. Characterized by its hardy nature, wisteria is a creeper growing with the support of walls or poles. It is a flower that brings extra color to the home and sweet fragrance vaguely reminiscent of a sensation of being in a blissful paradise.
Wisteria is a member of the Pea family. This genus was named after Professor Casper Wistar of Pennsylvania. It’s vines climb by twining their stems around any object available for support. There are two types of wisteria, Wisteria Sinensis also known as the Chinese Wisteria and Wisteria Floribunda or the Japanese Wisteria. The Chinese Wisteria has been found to be more popular due to its flowering habits. This flowering vine comes in different colors; purple and white are most commonly seen around Kathmandu.
Although the blossoms of this vine sets a rather romantic mood, the flowering period does not last as long as one might like; wisteria flowers blossom approximately for three weeks. The foliage take over as the flower falls.
Taking Care of Wisteria
Growing this vine is easy but extensive care must be taken as it can overtake almost everything quickly. Hence the location for planting a wisteria must be considered wisely; pick a place where the wisteria has space to grow. This twining vine does not fare very well in the cold hence it is important to find a place with ample sunlight.
Wisterias can climb as high as 20 meters above the ground. Due to its tendency to grow rapidly, pruning is most important while growing a wisteria. Wisteria doesn’t need much care in terms of fertilizing and requires little water. Considered a ‘tough plant’, it requires extensive ‘training’ for support and to prevent it from invading other plants around its vicinity.
Growing Wisteria Vines
It is relatively easy to plant a wisteria vine. If starting from seed, they must be soaked overnight before planting. The seeds begin to sprout within a few weeks however the flowers may not over 10-15 years. This process is not recommended because of the uncertainty of the flower blossoms. Hence, if you wish the blooming to occur earlier, the best method is through a cutting taken in the summer or layering branches. Both these methods may still take 3-4 years.
If you choose to layer branches, choose a flexible branch and bend it to the ground with the leaf node, placing a few inches into the soil. Make sure that it is weighted down to be secure and allow a time frame of overwinter. As spring arrives, it brings all to life: the wisteria too would have enough roots for planting.
Training Wisteria Vines
When training the wisteria vine, it is important to select an upright stem and attach it to the chosen support. Any other side shoots must be removed to continue the training. New side branches can be trained as needed to fill in spaces of the support structure. To stop this vine from outgrowing the desired height, cut off the main vine tip to stunt the growth.
The twining process of wisteria may be different on different species of wisteria. The Chinese Wisteria twines counterclockwise whilst the Japanese Wisteria twines clockwise. The flowering racemes of the Japanese Wisteria are the longest while the Chinese is more abundant.
On Walls
If you wish to plant the wisteria vine against the side of your house, it is best to have horizontal support wires around the house. The supports are best placed 30 cm away from each other.
On Pergolas and Arches
The blooming of the wis
teria flowers are best admired on structures where they are allowed to hang free. To showcase the flowers at their best, make sure to thin the plant for the flowers to blossom and also to leave enough space for the vine to develop.
Pruning
Pruning is important even in trained wisteria vines. If not pruned regularly, wisteria can quickly take over everything in its path. Heavy pruning is required in late fall or winter to keep the vine manageable.
Summer Pruning: It is best to do the summer pruning around July or August. This requires trimming of the whippy green shoots to control the wisteria and stop it from raiding the structures around it.
Winter Pruning: This pruning may be done around January or February to tidy it up for the growing season. Cut back growths to two or three buds.
Kid’s yoga classes begin from the age of 4 until 12. Classes are separated into age groups: 4–6, 7–9, 10–12. Young kids from 4–7 have less concentration and most of the class is spent trying to keep their little minds active and interested. A class for little kids aged 4–6 is up to 40 minutes long. During the class, there are theme based stories which are acted out through yoga postures, and mini sequences are taught to the children. Children learn basic breathing exercises along with relaxation, and mindfulness meditation
Do look for a class where the children are having fun and receive positive attention from the instructor. 
Starfish
Removing chocolate stains from washable fabrics like clothes
Removing chocolate stains from carpets or furniture
1Start using a mild moisturizer or even children’s cream every day to maintain healthy skin. If women can get wrinkles, you too will not be spared from this aging process. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be taking care of aging skin.
11Most men have rough callused feet with cracked heels in spite of the fact that they wear socks and shoes throughout the day. Soft feet are not just essential for women, it is important for men too. Take care of them by soaking in warm water with few drops of olive oil for 5-10 minutes. Then use a pumice stone on the soaked skin to gently remove the scaly part and to reduce the roughness. Wipe it dry and apply a foot cream. Wear a pair of cotton socks over it to let the cream get absorbed into the skin.