Looking back

Once we had made the decision to plant vines on the land, it had to be cleared. This turned out to be a major operation, digging and turning the ground. Only then did it become apparent quite how stony the Stonyfield was! After that it was measuring and marking out the 36 rows, and choosing which varieties to plant.

Then, luckily for us, the end of April 2011 had some fine weather, and we gathered together 20 friends and family, hired a post hole borer, and began the task of planting 1,000 vines. It took us two full days. We are forever grateful for the help given, all for nothing but a couple of (albeit very good) lunches.

After that, the trellis went in. For that we had to hire help. We chose wooden posts for aesthetic reasons, though we have since started to replace some with longer lasting metal ones.

Finally, we waited to see the first buds. The excitement, and sheer relief, of seeing that first green growth cannot be over-emphasised!