Sunday, March 16, 2014

Still Pruning!

Good news is that we finished pruning all the blackberries - including the newest patch behind the house.   Once the pruning and weeding was finished, Lars and Jeff set the remaining trellis posts.  Jens came this weekend and helped run the trellis wires.  It looks great.






We've continued the grapevine pruning as well - at least whenever the weather is decent enough to go out there.  Luckily with the time change, we do have some more daylight in the evening.  Hoping this helps us get the job done faster.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Pruning and Seeds

It got warmer - even 41°F seemed balmy enough to work in the vineyard all morning.  We nearly finished the Chambourcin patch #1 with basic pruning and if it would not have been for the gusty wind, we would have gotten even further.  Instead we started pruning the upper blackberry patch, which we never finished last fall - this is our newer, not yet bearing, patch of Triple Crown berries.  Hopefully, we can get ahead of the weeds by starting early.  Unfortunately, half of this patch was still snow covered and the ground was frozen so hard, that we could not get all the weeds out - so the pruning was limited to certain sections of the patch.

And - we started our first seeds:  Bell Pepper, one seed packet of a mixed variety (that did really well last year), and a second packet of just red roasting peppers.  Probably should have started these a week or two ago, so I am hopeful that they will get strong enough by mid May to plant outside.  Also started some Marigolds, just for fun!  It is so nice to see flats of seeds on the windowsills.



Sunday, March 2, 2014

Kitchen Remodel Nearly Done

For the most part, the kitchen is done - just in time for Lars's 16th birthday celebration.  We are still searching for the perfect wallpaper above the cabinets, but there is no rush - after all, it WILL be spring soon, and the vineyard needs a lot of work yet.



We even got a new kitchen faucet (thanks to Zach & Rachel's birthday gift to Jeff - and Jens for helping to install it).  It is so nice to have a single handle faucet with a very high spout - high enough for 5 gallon buckets or washing carboys easily. And.. no more dripping faucet either.  What a great make-over this was!  I just love DYI projects that make such an impact.