With Bated Breath
Each year about this time, I look to the grape arbor at the rear of the Mitchell House. This grape arbor is the plant – or at least the descendant – of one of many grape vines that Peleg and Mary Mitchell had at the rear of 1 Vestal Street when they occupied the House from about 1836 until Mary’s death in 1902. William and Lydia Mitchell, Maria Mitchell’s father and mother, sold the house to Peleg and Mary when they moved to the Pacific Bank for William’s new position there.
Thus, this grape vine is precious. For over thirty years, our landscaper cut it back each fall (late fall once all the leaves are off) until he retired. Then, I took it over and it keeps me up a night! But I figure, if anyone is going to kill the poor thing then it should be me. The curator can be to blame – it should not be someone else.
So, I have read A LOT about grapevine pruning to say the least. And each spring I begin to give it a hard stare – and it’s hard not to as I walk beneath it to get into and out of my office space in the cottage at the rear of the House. Now that it’s been warming and there is more daylight, my staring has grown more intense until today (April 27) when I was rewarded and drew a DEEP sigh of relief to see the little leaf buds on the vine. Whew!
It’s a lovely vine – I’m worried it will die though. It has some rot in one of the trunks. I have been successful at rooting pieces (I have blogged about that before) but alas, my nemesis – the bunny – has eaten those no matter how I protect them. Even netting and recycled netted flower bulb bags have not worked! But the vine, once the grapes are out and particularly as they get a bit old and long-in-the-tooth attract all sorts of birds – I have seen some nice warblers on it – including a Black and White Warbler and a Black-throated Blue Warbler.
I will continue to care for it as long as I am here at Mitchell House and hope that it continues to thrive.
JNLF
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