When the glass fellows didnt show up on time I checked the calendar and realized theyre actually coming today. I also had big plans for the kitchen porch roof that got nixed by rain, so pretty much everything I had on my dance card got shifted to the garden. The cool and rainy summer has taken its toll on the tomatoes, and I harvested some of the last of them from the dying plants. Fortunately the beans seem to love this weather and theyre going like gang busters. Ive been keeping my eye on the grapes these last several days and as they began to ripen I would eat a couple to see how sweet they were. Yesterday the concords were in full ripeness and I harvested a nice bunch of them. When we lived on Three Story Hill there was an old concord vine that always produced for us. When I started some grape vines here at the ranch I was influenced by the catalogs I was reading, and chose larger seedless varieties. When one choice would fail to produce I would replace it with another succulent offer only to experience the same result. It turns out most grapes dont like it here. Even on our ridge top they picked up fungus and mold that consistently ruined the grapes before they had a chance to ripen. I wont grow anything that needs a shower in monsanto sauce to succeed, our rule is, any given plant has to be able to make it on its own. I had about given up on grapes when Becky brought home a couple of concord vines and I remembered the crops we used to get. These are the heirloom type that have seeds and somewhat bitter skins, so theyre not a popular choice. They do have the classic flavor we all know. But, the most distinctive characteristic is they thrive in our area without being fussed over. The vines were loaded, and the dark blue grapes made a lovely contrast against green leaves. Our vines are three years old now and coming into full production, and I was surprised by how much we were able to harvest. We didnt get enough to make wine, which is fine with me. Ive always thought concord wine tastes like MD 20 20 and Id just as soon skip the experience. As pedestrian as it might be, Ill be making some grape jelly. Theres also a nice bunch of beans to put up, so for at least part of the day Ill be Davy domestic, working in the kitchen to put up the harvest. Im glad the rain gave me the opportunity to get some work done in the garden. Theres plenty more to do before this years effort is put to rest, although Im finding it hard to believe the season is drawing to a close. I have a feeling that keeping busy burns time faster than idleness, and it seems Im wired that way. Seeing as how it is what it is, I guess Ill just roll with it.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:35:59 +0000
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