Mating Season

Day 196: Mating season has begun, and yesterday, a few introductions were made with the aid of a Q-tip. The suggestion came from a friend who thought it might work better than the paintbrush I'd been using, and indeed I think it did. More pollen adhered to the cotton, and although the transfer percentage rate was substantially lower, it only takes a few grains to do the trick. I'm sure the neighbours' eyebrows were raised as they watched my antics. The only female flowers currently open are at the very top of the purple vine, and the only way I could reach them was from a ladder. I have never been successful in fertilizing the white Akebia from the purple one (the purple males don't seem to produce viable pollen), the purple females produced 17 fruits last year when pollinated by the white. In order to bear fruit, two different varieties of Akebia quinata are required and hand-pollination is almost mandatory, so if you see me up the ladder with a swabstick in hand, I'm just matchmaking for some rather shy botanicals.