Patience

I find pruning the vines a very therapeutic process. Each vine takes a few minutes and receives my absolute attention. Many vine-pruners wear headphones and listen to music, but I prefer to hear the birds, particularly the skylarks.

I don't find pruning in the least bit boring, despite it being a fairly repetitive job. The dogs, on the other hand, have a shorter attention span. We know that it's time to stop when the dogs plonk themself in the back of the car and drum their toes.