What's Up in the Labyrinth & Greenhouse?

Cutting & Rooting

Sunset in the Labyrinth. Our labyrinth, adjacent to the Tasting Cabana, is most beautiful at Sunrise and Sunset.

Walking It Out (or In). Happy customer, Rainbow Body Chardonnay in hand, walks the winding circles, 1/4 mile in to the center, 1/4 mile out, as questions are answered, burdens stripped away. (That's the idea anyway.) 

Replanting the Labyrinth. AuRoRa taking cuttings from the lavender plants in half wine barrels (more than 60 form the outer ring of the labyrinth). Why? Because all the water on the new, east vineyard flows down to the lowest part of the property ... which is the labyrinth. Last winter (2010-2011) there was so much rain that half the lab was underwater for months. It drowned much of the rosemary that forms the inner circles of the lab ... and many lavender plants as well. So this Spring (meteorological Spring starts March 1 in North America), we're taking cuttings from both plants, starting new plants in the greenhouse, and in a month or two we'll come back out and remove and re-plant the damaged plants to fill out the circles and barrels.

What's with the Hat? We have a terrific little greenhouse T. and Adorah built years ago that gets quite busy in Spring when we're rooting cuttings and creating vegetable starts for our organic garden a few steps away. AquariUS is preparing the lavender cuttings. (He's wearing purple so the lavender feels more comfortable with the process  ... just kidding ... or maybe not.) 

Rosemary Starts. T. took cuttings of rosemary (which is in full beautiful light-blue flowering bloom now in the labyrinth) several weeks ago and they are now busily creating new roots for transplant.

New Grapevine Starts. And T. walked around the vineyard after the first pruning, picked up smaller canes from last year that did not make it into the bonfire, put a piece of blue tape marked "Z" for Zinfandel or "CS" for Cabernet around the canes, and stuck them into a pale of water. Grapes (like figs and other Mediterranean vines and trees) have a ridiculous desire to grow. Stick them in the ground or water and they will grow new roots quickly. When these guys root in a month or so, we'll use them to replace any dead vines in the vineyard ... and maybe just plant a few for show.

Step 1. Make a fresh, angular cut at the bottom of the cutting, and pull off a few leaves at the base of of the cutting.

Step 2. Dip the cuttings in some rooting compound.

Step 3. Plant them in some planting mix. Sand and peat moss works well ... but we didn't have sand at the moment ... so this is coconut husk (a more eco-friendly version of peat moss) and vermiculite with a little soil. Just add water and, voila, in about six weeks we'll have plantable lavender plants for the labyrinth ... and to put into small pots for tabletops and bartop at the winery. They'll start blooming in May.

Meanwhile. We can all come out, walk the labyrinth, and enjoy the last of the beautiful rosemary blooms. If you want to make some cuttings of your own, bring your clippers. If you want some for your potatoes or pasta, bring your clippers. Happy Meteorological Spring!

satori