Vines, Master Classes, Free Lunch & Learn
Posted on November 3, 2015 by bob in Yard 'N Garden
If you’ve read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett you know what happens when a beautiful garden 
is left unattended for many years. Needless to say, things go awry and nothing flourishes as it should.
Unfortunately this was the situation I found myself trying to rectify after years of neglecting the scuppernong vine my mother planted many years ago. What was once a good producer of tasty scuppernongs had become heavily invaded by privet and honeysuckle vines.It was difficult to tell which one was choking the other since the honeysuckle vines had woven themselves intricately through the scuppernong vines. Improper (or a total lack of) pruning resulted in poor production and the inability to reach the fruit that was there. The time had finally come to make things right.
Like the book’s gardeners, Dickon Sowerby and Mary Lennox, my husband and I prepared to do battle with the overgrown mess. Armed with pruning shears, loppers, shovels, and a chainsaw, the rescue began.
To create a safer environment in which to use the chainsaw, we first used hand shears and loppers to cut back the vines wrapped around the privet trees.The process was slow; my husband and I cut, pulled, and carried debris for two days.It was difficult to see exactly what needed to be cut because so many of the vines had rooted where they came into contact with the soil.(It’s entirely possible something needing to stay was accidentally pruned!)
At the end of the pruning process the vines looked rather pitiful. There will probably be no scuppernongs this year, but hopefully next year we will reap the benefits of our labor. In the end, our efforts yielded a severely pruned scuppernong vine, aching muscles and three beautiful, handcrafted scuppernong vine wreaths. I did learn my lesson though. Pruning and routine maintenance will now be done on a regular basis.
Mirenda Tatum, a Master Gardener in the Capital City Master Gardener Association since 2014, lives in Montgomery, AL. For information on becoming a master gardener, visit the web-site, www.capcitymga.org or e-mail capcitymga@gmail.com.
Master Gardener Classes
Apply now at the Montgomery Co. Extension Office in Eastmont Shopping Center — 5340 Atlanta Hwy.
Classes: Each Thursday
Dates: February 18th – May 5th
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Light lunch provided.
Fee: $150.00, paid after acceptance.
Hosted by Capital City Master Gardener Association. For more information, call 334-270-4133, visit www.capcitymga.org or email capcitymga@gmail.com.
FREE LUNCH & LEARN
Noon – 1:00 P.M.
November 4 — Bulbs for the Garden
December 2 — Succulents are Addictive
Bring sack lunch, drinks provided
Armory Learning Arts Center,
1018 Madison Ave.
For more information, contact the Montgomery County Extension Office (334) 270-4133.
