A mature Wisteria in full bloom is a spectacular sight. But get up-close and personal with this gorgeous vine and send your other senses reeling. Wisteria's fragrance is heady, sweet and intoxicating, one of the most heavenly scents nature has to offer.

But before you rush out to buy one, you'll need to know a few things about Wisteria to grow it successfully.

Wisteria is a vine native to China. It grows very well on the West Coast of Canada and is readily available in local nurseries. Wisteria was the first plant I purchased for our new yard when we moved in 12 years ago. Since that time I have moved my Wisteria twice and `hacked` it back several times. Yet when people visit my garden they marvel at my wisteria's profuse blooms and astounding vigor.

"What is the secret to getting Wisteria to bloom?" is the question I hear most often.

The answer is pretty straightforward: prune it! Wisteria vines need to be pruned regularly to flower successfully. They can take up to seven years to mature but will often flower much sooner. If Wisteria is not pruned it is apt to get out of hand pretty quickly and may easily do a lot of damage to drainpipes, siding, bricks and other plants.

Many people are afraid to prune for fear of killing their prized trees, vines or shrubs. No need to worry with Wisteria. These vines are vigorous and actually do much better when pruned regularly. By regularly, I mean at least twice a year. I usually prune mine in February and again in July. The exact time depends on when your Wisteria blooms and when it is in leaf.

In February, I cut back a lot of the long curly growth and anything else that seems to be out of control. For example: I really like the way my Wisteria looked climbing up a North side wall of my house last summer, but when the leaves had dropped in February I realized just how thick and strong those branches were becoming. So I got up on the ladder and cut the thick branches off my drainpipe. If I'd left those branches they would probably have pulled the drainpipe away from the house this summer. Winter is the time when the vine is without leaves so it's the best time to shape and prune.

My Wisteria has now bloomed and is in full leaf. It's time to cut off all the branches that are in the way of garden traffic and the ones that are sneaking up under the siding.

My advice is to reassess your pruning often and feel free to snip and trim as necessary except when it is near the blooming and leafing out stage, (usually the months of May and June). It's as simple as that to have a healthy Wisteria loaded with purple flower clusters that don't just look spectacular but smell like nothing else on earth.