Gardening is undoubtedly one of those occupations where it is happier to travel than to arrive, not just because there is always something to do in a garden but because of the weather.
When I worked in a language college, students were always thrilled to be able to say that Britain has a wonderful climate but terrible weather. As it looks as if it’s going to be wet for the Olympics too (such a surprise), I’m inclined to think the best thing to have done for the summer would have been to build a giant church hall over the entire country because of that other famous British saying: if wet, in the church hall.
At present it’s not only wet, it’s cold as well. In July, which it is, I am gardening in the usual rig plus thick socks and a vest. Normally in the summer a little light rain is refreshing, today it was falling on my head like small hard ball bearings, so I came in. I did actually manage to plant up all the pots, finally, about two months late. Whether they’ll all get into flower before the snow starts, we shall see. Half the front bed, carefully planted in exactly spaced patterns of marigolds in alternating colours, has been ruined by slugs who have eaten all the flowers off at random, the gits.
Nevertheless there is a proto triumph existing in potentia.
Can you see it?
No?
Look elsewhere.
Right in the middle there, look.
No?
Let’s find one against a background of the fence.
Grapes!
Amazingly my lost label bargain grape vine (a couple of leaves and a stick) is doing many bunches of grapes.
At present small and weedy, they are nevertheless plentiful. Each picture is of a different bunch.
Some are well spaced. Others are close together.
There’s so many, I can even manage to get some out of focus!
How exciting is that!
Will they develop or fall off?
Will I get to them before the slugs learn to climb the grapevine?
Will they be little, dried out and bitter like their viticulturalist? Or plump and squishy like her hips?
I’ll watch the grapevine, you watch this space!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JaneLaverick.com – grapely surprised.