If you grow table grapes in your garden, chances are they came, directly or indirectly, from Ross Hadfield’s grape arbor.

This week, long-time Master Gardener Ross Hadfield passed away. He had been a Master Gardener for over 30 years. He helped launch the Advanced Master Gardener program in 1982 and became the first Emeritus Master Gardener in 2009.

Ross planted his first grapevine back in 1952 in the front yard of the house he built with his own hands four years earlier. He became a tester for Cornell University by growing many different types of table grapes to see if they would thrive here in the Treasure Valley. In the end, 14 types survived our winters and they still thrive in his garden.

He felt the grapes were so successful that he was the driving influence in getting the University of Idaho Parma Research Station to start testing table grapes in addition to the wine grapes they were already testing.

Ross co-authored several University of Idaho gardening publications, including one listing 16 varieties of grapes that do well in the Treasure Valley. The publication describes the size, color, taste and vigor of each of the varieties. It’s available at the Ada County Extension Office.

Grapes weren’t the only thing Ross experimented with. He also developed a frost tolerant English walnut – the Hadfield Walnut. Those were available for sampling at the last Pomology Day at the Parma Research Station. After each fall walnut harvest, he cracked all the walnut shells himself to extract the nuts. In the past few years, his seed walnuts were sold at local plant sales.

Ross also grew raspberries and boysenberries and canned his own jams and jellies. After receiving a gift of boysenberry jam from him, I knew I had to grow my own boysenberries He also dried grapes on the roof of his house to make raisins. Yes, he climbed on the roof until he was in his late 80s!

Ross is also known for growing sweet potatoes. He once grew a 26-pound sweet potato and donated it to feed 70 veterans on Thanksgiving Day that year.

The first job that Ross had after college graduation was teaching at Meridian High School. He left that job after two years, then worked at Wyeth Labs until he retired in 1981. The love of teaching never left him and he taught many types of classes over the years – not just gardening classes. In all, he had thousands of students in his lifetime.

Gardening wasn’t the only interest that Ross devoted his life to. He started the Meridian Junior Rifle Club and taught there until his death. He received an award last October for his 76 years of service to the Boy Scout organization. He was active in his church as well.

To read more about this amazing man, click here. If you knew Ross and have a fond memory of him, you can leave a note for the family on that website.

If you have particular questions about gardening you’d like to see addressed in this column, send them to highprairielandscapedesign@yahoo.com.