Vineyard Bursting With New Growth In Spring

(click on picture for larger image)

Old vines are bursting with new growth in the spring.  Since grapes only grow on new wood, the vines are cut back right to the stumps.  New branches grow and it is on these new branches that the grapes grow.  Old wood doesn't produce grape clusters.

Vines And Forsythia Through The Window

Yesterday, I showed forsythia blossoms in detail close up.  When you are in the farm building looking out of a rustic window, you will see the thick grape vines and the forsythia bush growing near the rock wall.  A beautiful view through the window.

Incredibly Old Grape Vine

The older that a grape vine is, the thicker it is. This old specimen has been pruned many many seasons and still is producing in a Provencale vineyard.

Vines at the Doorway

The previous blog posting was of old vines and irises. This is a picture of a village house doorway with an ancient thick grape vine growing at the edge of the building. The rest of the doorway entrance is a collection of potted plants to add greenery and colour to a stone village house.

Irises and Old Vines

Irises growing wild poke their violet and purple flowers among ancient grape vines.

Poppies and Old Vines

Poppies grow wild in the margins of an old vine vineyard. The grape branches are cut back every year since grapes only grow on new wood. So the bottoms of the vines grow thicker and thicker with age.