Vertical vineyard
Three 'Zinfandel' grapevines frame this patio entry
It doesn’t take space to grow grapes―even a sunny wall will do. To frame the entrance to their patio in San Diego, Joe and Terri Noel secured a vine on either side of the patio entry’s double arches, and another one in the middle. Shafts of sunlight illuminate the green leaves and bunches of purple-red grapes that dangle from beneath the vines in summer. Joe chose a ‘Zinfandel’ variety because that’s his favorite wine, and the fresh grapes, unavailable even at specialty markets, have “the same spicy notes.”
The couple planted the vines two and a half years ago, and harvested their first crop this past fall.
To secure the vines to the wall, they used Sturdy Vine Supports sold at garden centers. They glued the plastic disks―which come with coated wires and adhesive―to their home’s stucco, then inserted a tie through each disk’s center loop, and wound the ties around the vines’ sturdiest shoots.
