Question
i will be quick, i am a master gardener also, however i suffered a brain injury (i was hit in the back of my head with a football, and my coratid artery dissected) and i had a stroke and now have difficulty rememebering or recalling my knowledge of plants.  Once i get a hint or a start of a subject regarding plants its funny because then there it is, its back in my brain, so anyways sorry.....i am now on disability and am desperate and trying to find ways to have plants agian, as i can't afford not even the cheap ones now, i got lots of wisteria seeds from my sister and have dozens of baby wisteria, i want to make some bonsai's and i always wanted a nice one outdoors, how can i be sure they live and thrive and how many years does a wisteria have to be to bloom and what do i have to do to make them bloom inside and outside.  also do you know where i can get free plant starts after my accident all my plants died (i was in the hospital)(nearly 100) it was devestating.  i need plants again i get so depressed about them.

thank you so much,    jill

Answer
Hi Jill,
Thanx for your question.  I am sorry to hear about your injury.  I can only imagine how trying and difficult this time has been for you.  It sounds to me though that you are overcoming this adversity.  I wish you the best in you recovery.

Here is a link for growing wisteria as bonsai.

http://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/wisteria.html

Wisteria seed germinate easily.  They are a legume and most legumes germinate readily in 10 days or so with some water and warm temps.  Wisteria are very hardy and will survive cold winters at least they do here in zone 5b/6a.  Wisteria can be fast growing.  You'll need to control its wild growth and train it along a few major leads otherwise it will grow all over the place and not bloom much because it is using all of its energy to grow new green growth.

Most of the experts are saying it takes 10-15 years to get a bloom from wisteria grown from seed.  I have read that some have had blooms as early as 3-5 years.  I am not a bonsai expert so I cannot tell you much about bonsai and the growth habit of wisteria as bonsai.  You can do a Google search for bonsai and I'm sure you will get lots of information.  To make wisteria bloom outdoors, the plant must be fastidiously trained.  You must force it to grow in an orderly fashion pruning off excess leaders and shoots and forcing the plant to grow in one direction on 1-3 leads.  Use fertilizers low in nitrogen and high in potassium and phosphorus.  It needs lots of water while it is preparing to bloom and during blooming but they can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and can tolerate drought too.  

As far as free plant starts?  I would enquire amongst my friends, family and acquaintances.  As for things that are easy to start such as pothos, various types of begonias, African Violets.  I have found half living plants in the dumpsters behind nurseries and revived some of them.  I wonder if someone at the hospital in which you stayed might have access to plants patients leave behind?  You might start inquiries there.  Leave a card or something telling them you'll take extra plants off their hands?  I hope this helps.
Tom