Day 196: As I came out of the garage yesterday, a waft of sweet fragrance alerted me to the fact that the Akebia vines have started blooming. A quick assessment showed that not only were the white male flowers ready to contribute pollen, the purple females were ready to accept it. I made a quick trip into the house, grabbed the camel-hair brush I use for botanical matchmaking, and went back out to tickle stamens and pistils so that I can have a handful..."handful," I said!...of Akebia fruits to enjoy in the fall. Even though I tried last year not to get too carried away, my cross-pollination efforts wound up creating more than I could reasonably eat. It's possible that a breeze or bugs contributed to the abundance, but as a general rule here in the Pacific Northwest, these plants require human assistance in order to fruit. This year, I had the great good sense to only pollinate flowers which were in easy reach. No more climbing the ladder to get that one last Akebia which, in any event, are an acquired taste.
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