Clipped! I'm The Gardener Here!

Life’s pruning.

Clipped!  I’m the Gardener Here!

I shuffled my feet through the bright green grass, along the eastern-dual-string of my vineyard.  Everything seemed to be growing well.  That was my thought.  Right up to my arrival at one shaggy-bark-grape-trunk that stood singularly apart.

I stopped and looked at the sentinel, brown trunk hoping to see some new growth.  I saw none!  All of the other trunks, on every line, were sprouting new vines.  Some were already growing new, tiny clusters of grapes.  But not this one!  So, I looked carefully to see what the issue was and I concluded that my pruning was the cause.

Last year in the early spring I took an exploratory walk through the vineyard as well.  I remember thinking, “There wasn’t that much growth over the year.  I think I don’t need to prune.”  I was happy with that decision right up to a little past the middle of summer.

By mid-summer there were vines and grapes everywhere!  They were beautiful!  By the end of the summer there were completely out of control.  Some vines had even jumped across a space of about fifteen feet into the tops of some good-sized trees in explosive fashion.  By then I simply shook my head and didn’t want to go through the pain of battling the unyielding vines.  Then winter arrived.

I trudged through the snow up and down the leaf-barren, twisted vines.  I knew they had grown exponentially, but didn’t really see the extent until the stark cold seemingly took control of the vines and stopped their growth.  I was not looking forward to the work laid out before me, right up until the spring brought small buds bursting anew.  My window to prune was fully open and I was determined to show the vines that I was the gardener here!

It took me days to prune all of the vines.  I worked as carefully as I thought possible, trying to make great decisions as to what parts to keep and what to cut and cast away.  And, once I had completed my work I walked up the aisles of grape vines and felt satisfied.  I was sure I had left new, fresh buds on each guide wire to allow the vines to thrive in a controlled manner.  That’s what I thought, right up until I walked up to that one shaggy-bark-grape-trunk that stood singularly apart.

I must have misread the budding growth and cut it too far back.  Now my worry was that all of the years, water and efforts on this vine had been negated by my seemingly bad decisions and lack of skill!  My hope was that pruning, meant to invigorate it, had not killed it.  I was distraught, yet my inner voice encouraged me to have faith in my previous work to strengthen this vine’s roots and environment and to give it more time to rejuvenate.

I waited.  I walked the line daily for several weeks this spring.  I made sure the drip irrigation was giving it water.  I trimmed the weeds and grass from its trunk.  I waited more.  I hoped!

Then, about the middle of the last week in May I walked that same line again.  I stopped at that same barren trunk.  I hung my head.  I walked on up until a single fleck of green, hidden on the back of a protruding branch grabbed my peripheral vision.  I walked back.  It was a sprout!

I had shuffled my feet through the bright green grass, along the eastern-dual-string of my vineyard over and over again.  Everything seemed to be growing well.  That was my thought.  Right up to my arrival at one shaggy-bark-grape-trunk that stood singularly apart.

I stopped and looked at the sentinel, brown trunk hoping to see some new growth.  I finally saw some!  All of the other trunks, on every line, had sprouted new branches weeks ago.  Many were already growing new, tiny clusters of grapes.  And now, so was this once seemingly dead trunk!  So, I looked carefully to admire that new growth and sighed a welcome in celebration.  Even though I tried to make great pruning decisions it was now clear that my pruning was the cause of this trunk’s stress.

I was grateful that its strong roots and good environment had left the door open for it to heal, rejuvenate and once again begin to thrive.  Thank goodness for our ability to use the tool of time to aid in life’s healing process!

You and I have had times when life has seemingly been our uncaring gardener.  We’ve all been pruned too carelessly and harshly at times.  If this has happened to you, remember to say to yourself, “I’m the gardener here!” 

Then, be grateful for your strong roots!  Focus on creating the best personal environment possible and use time to allow yourself to thrive again!