My husband, Tom, enjoys trying to defy nature. He loves to plant things that may have only a slight chance of survival here in Wyoming. We attend classes with the Master Gardener group, watch videos, read gardening books, and relish seed and plant catalogues when they arrive. In spite of zone warnings or experts telling us never to try this or that, he is willing to spend a bit of time and money experimenting. A gambler of sorts, and sometimes he wins! Thus at this time of year we seem to be living on The Planet of the Grapes.
New Jersey is nicknamed The Garden State. I’m sure there are many other states who could vie for that title, and Wyoming wouldn’t be one of them. Years ago a very inspiring speaker came to our spring Master Gardener’s conference. Colorado’s Lauren Springer had written a book – The Undaunted Gardener. Her Rocky Mountain experience gave us more courage to try new things in our arid, windy, zone-4-if-you’re-lucky-on-a-good-day climate.
Our other inspiration was the dynamic duo – Ernie and Rose Keiffer, my friend Nancy’s parents. Their yard in little Evansville, Wyoming, just a block from the RR tracks was a hidden gem that rivaled the Garden of Eden. Upon being invited to their home, we were astonished at every little nook and cranny. Near the entry gate was the glorious peony patch. The vegetable garden itself had pumpkins big enough to sit upon! Ernie’s green thumb had enviable peach, pear, and apple trees growing in his mini-orchard. Toward the alley was a patio with a koi pond totally shaded by – you guessed it – a living canopy of grape vines, draped in hanging fruit.
I guess you could call Tom pretty undaunted too.He may have started with only two grape plants, probably just purchased here in town. They actually grew. This small success gave him a confidence boost. Onward he went trying new varieties that were certainly not always recommended for Wyoming. The family joke became him coming home and asking me if I could guess what he had in the back of the truck. It wasn’t long before I would groan when he started the sentence – this because the next sentence would be a question. Where should we plant our new grape? We now have about 70 feet of grapes that we intentionally planted and others sprouting up and flourishing, where the birds deposited some hardy seeds.
When I mention to people that we have grapes, they say one of two things: Either – “oh I’ve got a bunch of those things and you can’t kill them,” or “are you kidding? I had no idea grapes grew here.” On the other hand, the birds, raccoons, and squirrels seem well aware of our successful efforts. Tom says we have Reliance, Concord, Valiant, Kay Gray, and Swenson. I’m pretty sure we also have Canadice, which are my favorite, if I can get to them before the birds pick my clusters clean as that is the bird entree’ of choice.
Our home is on a hillside, so Tom terraced it with the garden lowest back toward the alley and the grapes on the edge of the yard above the garden by three railroad ties. When we first started growing grapes, Tom encouraged and paid good $$ for me to attend a Master Gardener’s class on berries and small fruits while he took in another topic. I received handouts, listened carefully to our expert teacher and asked questions, all while taking copious notes. I was pretty shocked when we were told that each year the grapes should be trimmed back 80% – 90%. We were so thankful that the grapes were alive and there seemed to be a big difference between trimming up straggling vines and giving the grapes a crew-cut.
Without consulting Tom, I made an executive decision to clip the bare vines back about 70% (less than recommended). This was an unusually non-busy morning as spring seemed imminent – thus we hadn’t discussed the trimming plan that I suddenly decided to tackle on my own . I admit it seemed a bit scary for me, I wasn’t ready to go the whole blown recommended percentage down to the nubs . When Tom came home and saw the pile of long woody trailing vines near the sparse woody vines I’d left, I thought he would have a conniption fit. What had I done? He had worked so hard to purchase, plant and nurture them. I most likely had ruined them, after his careful research, shopping, and planting investment. Only time would tell the story – had I gone off the deep end and ruined everything?
We didn’t have to wait long for the grapes to grow like wildfire. Soon they were setting on blooming clusters that quickly turned to baby grapes. I’d never thought about baby grapes before. Twists and tendrils of vines took off in every direction, reminding me of Albert Einstein’s disheveled hair. You can be sure that the next years I had no qualms about nipping those grape vines right back to whatever structural wood I wanted to keep. My attitude transformed from timidity to a Karate Kid line – “have no mercy.”
Now, we’ve been here 40 years and I’m amazed at what emerged from the rocks, bentonite, and sagebrush hillside. I’m beyond the once yearly spring grape trimming and just finished my third go-round this summer. I got tired of waiting too long and breaking tree branches while trying to pull the latched on vines from them. Plus they are happy to cover up whatever I’ve unearthed from the grass pulling I spoke of recently (https://bowercorner.com/2024/07/29/the-art-of-pulling-grass/). They also think highly of snuggling up with the sprawling squash, raspberries and anything else in their way.
I’m hooked on my new Milwaukee rechargeable battery operated pruner. Grape trimming is a whiz with it. I can have a pile of 10′ and longer vines in short order. As I perform this task my mind can’t help wandering. Rather than finding the clipping job stealing my time, I am offered insights as is often the case while laboring in the garden. I began to think about creation’s abundance. All of what could have been called extra work, was actually evidence of how we are so blessed with enough and more than we need. Not just with grapes, but with family, rich friendships, the beauty of nature, the joys of music, art, literature, poetry, and of all things, the abundance of love, forgiveness, and mercy of our Lord. Thus it is here on The Planet of the Grapes!
Proverbs 3:10 “So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
2 Corinthians 8:14 “But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want.”
John 10:10 “… I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
P.S. The rest of the Story – I had a REAL surprise one time when Tom came into the house asking me to come see what he had in the back of his truck. I felt a bit exasperated, just sure it was yet another grape plant. My response was I didn’t need to see the new grape and was totally confident that he would find the perfect spot to plant it. He said, “no, no, just come look.” I walked outside to the back of his truck with the tailgate open. What I saw actually was green, but not what I was expecting. It was literally a small anvil, just my size 40 kilos – 88 lbs. – the first green anvil I’d ever seen, and probably the only anvil I will ever be able to call my own. This is the kind of gift an ornamental iron guy gives his wife. My daughter Betsy promises to teach me to forge someday!! Her work is amazing!! Just google Betsy Bower.
P.S.S. Coming Soon – Please stay tuned for a remake of my 200? article – A Case of the Disappearing Grape Arbor.
BowerCorner 