Willamette Hops harvest.....in my Chicago backyard!!!

Two Wednesdays ago I got locked out of my apartment, after returning from a volunteering stint that I do every week, because the maintenance guys were painting the front steps.  Well, I never have the back door key with me, that is the internal back porch deadbolt key.  So I decided to harvest hops since the steps were still wet from being painted.  The above-provided photos are the product of what resulted.  I harvested these Willamette Hops on Wednesday Oct 6, 2010.  Just seeing how much I picked off the vines this year made me so utterly proud.  It has been only 3 years of growing these things and they just take off without much care at all.  I still don't grow them properly, as in - vertically, which I think is the proper manner in which to grow them - but I will be calibrating my methods for next year to get closer to the ideal.  The plans on how to do this vertical gardening are still only in the sketch phase.  Actually, it is more along the lines of sketch and throw pasta at the wall, all the while taking a sip from a nice glass of wine to celebrate another great year in gardening.

Super late on posting anything these days to this southeastern Logan Square blogulation. I am in the midst of Day Eight for the fermentation of my first-ever wine (a red Spanish Tempranillo). As well, classes and trying to re-adjust to taking coursework, coupled with trying to find supplemental income have all successfully consumed my brainpower, or my 'Frontal Cortex' as Andrew Sullivan is so fond of saying.

Gary Vaynerchuk has reviewed Tempranillo a time or two, be sure to check his show out every week if you wish to learn more about his take on these matters. As always, more to come.......Thank you for reading!!!!

68 degrees Fahrenheit for a high, 45 degrees for tonight's low

We may have shaken the Sucker Punch Frost Blues after all. Today I woke up and took a couple of snaps of the day's sky. The weather didn't require that I wear shirtsleeves. Brilliant, as yesterday's matters were so turbulent almost all throughout.

Also, after watering the Cabernet Sauvignon cutting that surprised me yesterday, this morning it appears that development of the bud has advanced. I can actually see the variegation of the leaf that will be arriving on the scene when bud break occurs. I attempted a few photos of what I see today, but my camera is not getting a good focus. The readers will just have to trust me on this one.





And back at the garden in Southeast Logan Square, there is another set of leaves coming out on the first of the Syrah vines to grow this year. Things are looking up. I was also listening to the local news on the television (read that with a Spanish voice in your head, ok.?), and I learned that parts of the area received upwards of 3 1/2 inches of rain when the last storm cluster rolled on through the territories here.

May 11 2010 Tuesday photo update of garden

************Big news from the southeast Logan Square garden nook. ***************

I had, about 3 weeks ago, put fresh cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon grape vine (direct from pruning my parents' vine in St. Louis) in pots to see if they would grow. It was a little of rolling the dice and a whole lotta wishing (8 pots total). After doing so, I put them outside along a fence where it seemed I was placing them in a barren spot. In fact, one pot I put about 4 inches east of a Syrah cutting that I placed in the ground last year. This said Syrah cutting was surrounded by so-called 'Chicken Wire', or more appropriately, Poultry Fencing. There are (2) canines on the property, so I have to protect my investments. Canines will be canines, after all. I can't blame them, but I'll be damned if they they get to my cuttings without an athletic battle of wills.

Regardless, I was last night picking up trash that had been strewn and blown about into our apartment building's territory; it is something that us urban dwelling Chicago-types have to grow accustomed to. In doing so, I noted that, just by chance there appeared to be something growing alongside my Cabernet Sauvignon potted cutting. I felt immediate joy upon determining that it was a small growth with leaves quite similar to the cuttings that are growing in the pots inside my apartment, that is to say I knew instantly it was a grape vine sprout. It didn't make sense to me - it was a growth that was hidden by the pot which was situated on the ground by the fence, AND, it was outside of the poultry fencing (which was used to protect the Syrah cutting that was there in the first place).

You get the point. Upon discovery, the clouds broke open, the choirs sang, a cantata was ringing out in Logan Square. Clenched fists, exclamations, jubilation, bottle of Champagne popped, et al. Another one pulled through the winter. SUCCESS!!!!!!! Let's get to the photos, terrible as they are. (Disclaimer: Again, I am just trying to record successes and to achieve positive growth to garner and gather the experience of growing the vines. The Japanese Beetle will come, I am not even sure if I have enough drainage, maybe even eventual rot, might be a future challenge. But as scrappy as this operation is, and in the face of the strangest of environments and its unlikeliness, this initiative moves on with determination.)


The Garlic is coming along quite nicely. This is courtesy of Rebecca Sometimes.


The almighty Big Bluestem. Looking great.


Mars Seedless grape vine showing healthy growth for its first year in the soil. Beautiful leaves, eh?


Another shot of the Willamette Hops. They are just absolutely crazy and almost nearly caught up to last year's growth. (Remember, it is merely May 11th, 2010 here. Amazing.)


This is my hand underneath a Willamette Hops leaf to provide some perspective.


These are the Roma Tomatoes in the backyard (started inside by my roommate). I predict that by Memorial Day weekend they will have doubled in size. The rains of the past week have been quite incredible and lively. As can be seen in the photos of the soil, there has been plenty of debris spread about as a result of the storms. I walked the grass yesterday in the front and the number of twigs I came across was surely above ten in number.


This is the 1st Syrah that came up this year. What a remarkable leaf. Gorgeous artwork.


Same Syrah, different angle. It gained leaves.


This is one of the returning Clematis vines from last year, it is the 1st to blossom this year. It is quite a marvel.


This is the most robust of the Russian Sage plants. The colours are going to be around for a good 6-8 weeks during this forthcoming summer, once it gets to blooming.


This Russian Sage plant is akin to Scrappy Doo, except we'll call this Scrappy Sage. I had to uproot this particular plant from the other side of the bay window, but it wasn't growing very well, or even at all, for that matter. I actually just kind of took the spade, dug the existing old plant/some roots, and then laid it on top of the soil. I brought it over with its own little patch of soil so as to keep roots intact. Once it went to its new environs, "Voila!". The little scrappy plant began to fight for sunlight.


Joe Pye Weed. Very strong and ready for warmer temps.


White Coneflower coming back after its first winter in the soil in our garden. This batch seems very hardy. It does get quite a bit of sun, perhaps that helps alot. It also gets quite a bit of canine spray, too. Not sure about the benefits of such liquid on White Coneflower.


More Joe Pye Weed out by the street. Very excited about this batch. Everything in this area is growing at a rapid pace. Essentially the plants in front get a water, worms, sunlight, and canine urine kind of diet, sans Miracle Grow. The grass gets the Water, Worms, Sunlight, Canine urine, and Canine dookie kind of diet.



Joe Pye Weed returning after the winter. Photo of the plant behind the barricade. Remember, canines await, they long to crap in the garden.


The second Syrah grape vine to sprout this year. Whammo!!!!!


This is the 'lost' Syrah vine. Terrible photographic documentation, but it is brilliant to realize that this vine pulled through the winter and faced the adversity of being nearly prevented from sprouting by having a pot set upon where it wanted to pop out of the ground. This vine is clearly a fighter. It is a contender, not coulda been. I expect remarkable growth from it and a great summer. It'll go ten rounds. No doubt in my mind now.


Switch Grass growing, growing, and growing.


The two Cabernet Sauvignon grape cuttings. Good growth to report, additional leaves and length from both cuttings. Progress as planned. Delighted, as a result.


Lovely Clematis cutting in a vase. Such a beautiful flower. This reminds me exactly why I love them in the garden.


This is as quotidian as it gets. Clematis from another angle.

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One casualty of the recent weather is that a sprig of Aster broke off from falling tree branches. Nothing major, I just happen to be fond of the colour that Asters bring to the garden. It happens. Just interesting to notice the impact of the weather.

That's all for the week!