Two weeks late on this posting

Lots of whirlwind activity going on. I intended to post these videos for the blog way back in late August 2010, just never got around to it. I DID however prepare them back then by placing them on the You Tube page for the blog. But I'll cut out that additional step and put them in this posting for the readers.

The story goes that I now believe July and August really took the vines in Chicago, at my apartment, to another level. The heat came, surely nothing like the heat of the Missouri or anywhere among the southern states, but still these vines thrived very nicely in the warm breath of Chicago's upper-midwest summer.





Reviewing these videos I have to laugh because there has been so much more growth than these videos convey. The growth has been extraordinary, revealing lots of vigor. I also hope it reflects lots of TLC. Regardless, the aim is just to get through the growing season and see what needs to be pruned in the first week of March of 2011.

Temperatures are cooling in Chicago, Illinois. More to come...be well!

A very brief study of the vines

As part of this current state of transition in my life, I resigned from one job (back in late June 2010) and replaced it with a job that takes me up north for 5 days straight every week.   When I say north, I don't mean that I work near the Hudson Bay in Canada, but I actually get away from my apartment for 5 days and then return to my apartment after my last shift (not returning every night to the apt makes sense as the gas costs get pricey).  Because of doing so, I have noticed alot of growth on my 2-year old Syrah grape vines every time I come back from working a 4 or 5-day stretch. 

This weekend, before I left for work on Thursday, I decided to set up a few markers so that I can measure how much growth has occurred this week on each vine - actually only in the past 4 days to be exact.  I have a few videos that I took to document before leaving on Wednesday that I'll share now in this post.  Enjoy!



The vine below gets mostly southern facing sun. My aunt commented about how this plant is so darned close to concrete. I know, this whole arrangement is beyond logic. It is all madness, we just have to be creative with the limit on space in the city of Chicago when it comes to gardening, or in attempting to establish and shape one. Enjoy the vine!



I'll be sure to grab a few videos of the same two vines when daylight arrives on Monday August 2, 2010. I'll blog then about the growth. I suspect growth must vary from week to week. It is all very funny because I have photos of the vines from June 2010 and in those photographs the vines look so tiny in comparison to how they are now. July has been very good to us at the vineyard.

The day after turbulent weather - May 14 2010

I took this shot because of the contrast provided by the Cottonwood Tree, which also happens to be my favorite tree in the Midwest. The skies were pristine in the morning.  A wonderful day after.

I loved this view because it is the story of every tulip:  a short burst of beauty and then they are done for the year (all told, at best, 3 weeks total).  Pretty great how they get the world started in the springtime, but their mission is very pointed and a brief one.

The view of the Second City from the main office.  Pretty great view, only possible the day after a storm rolls on through the area and scours the air.  I am not sure what it looks like at night, I wonder if it rivals Mulholland Drive's view at night.  Never been to Mulholland to check it out.  Taken May 14, 2010 Friday.

This took me by surprise

Plenty of entries here in the past 48 hours, but all for good reason. The story goes that I have in my office at work a Cabernet Sauvignon cutting that I put into a pot, nearly 9 weeks ago. I have been patient with it, provided water, it is situated in a lovely window sill (that is, the sunlight directs itself onto this pot for a good many afternoon hours). About two weeks ago, an former co-worker stopped by to visit and catch up, he also is an amateur local gardener. I asked him what he thought of the potted cutting and he reported that the buds still looked viable. I have been worried because everything I have planted this year is up against the success of my attempts to grow Syrah cuttings in pots during the spring of 2009, which render astonishing successes. I took Tom's words, his assessment and tried to feel encouraged.

Every once in a while I look at the pot and tell it, "It's okay to grow, Mr. Vine. You need to grow.". Seriously. I did talk to this cutting, just to be silly, in recent weeks. It is probably more hokey and strange more than anything. During my morning rounds, today, of reviewing the plant and putting my finger on the soil to test for estimated moisture levels, I seemed to notice a much larger bud at the base of the cutting than I had remembered from recent weeks. Upon looking closer, there is a greenish hue to the bud. Apparently the fuzzy texture has been pushed away by the green leaves that are coming from within and now there is only one layer of plant material that separates the leaves from protruding outward and being fully exposed to the elements of air, water, heat, and environment, directly. Excellent news.

Today it is warm and I think the plant will respond to the heat. I may well have a photo of bud break within the next 6 days. Until then, here is a photo of what I see today (Thursday May 13, 2010). Again, there is a 30 to 40-year Master Plan that is providing a larger scope. This could well be one of the foundational vines for Conejo Loco Vineyards