Peter Dowdall: Wisteria walkway time tunnel will take in Cork-Kerry road closed in 1910

'Work is underway on what will be Ireland’s largest wisteria tunnel. Even though it's currently only 30% complete, it’s already a striking sight'

Aimee O'Callaghan, horticulturist, in the wisteria tunnel at Curraghbeg Plant Nursery. Pictures: Eddie O'Hare

Few plants stop you in your tracks quite like wisteria in full bloom. And right now, as we’ve been welcomed into May with some glorious sunshine, it’s putting on one of the most breathtaking displays of the gardening year. Cascades of lilac, violet, or white flowers tumbling from pergolas, arches, and walls have lit up gardens all over the country, and with the fine weather we’ve been having, this year’s display seems even more impressive.

If you’re lucky enough to have an established wisteria in your garden, you’ll know the joy of watching those bare, twisted vines explode into colour and scent. There’s almost an element of drama to it, from a tangle of lifeless-looking branches to a performance of colour and form that turns heads and lifts the spirits.