When my husband built our oak framed garden room he wanted to plant a grape vine to give the room shade in the summer months. It was to be planted outside but with an opening to bring the vine into the garden room.  In the first few years the vine was very slow growing until my daughter told us of a vine feed that she had used with great success.  It had nothing on’ Jack and the Beanstalk’ and Wow did it grow!

The vine today covers the whole glass roof and looks very pretty when the leaves start to burst open in early April but then the flowers come – the little fluffy flowers drop everywhere and so my wrath begins.  By late May all the leaves are out and the grapes are starting to swell, you might think that is the end, but now it seems to have its own little micro climate in between the glass roof and the vine, condensation drips all day leaving little puddles everywhere.  You might say that it needs more ventilation but even having all the windows and doors open doesn’t stop the drip, drip, drip of condensation. 

As summer starts to fade into Autumn the bunches of black grapes have swollen looking like giant clusters of black pearls and the leaves start to turn from pale green to the beautiful hues of orange,  gold and red.  They look wonderful and then without a fond farewell drop to the floor, hundreds of dead leaves crunchy under foot start to fall.

I’ve had enough by now I find the step ladder and wielding my secateurs head for the garden room, off with their branches.  I cut away dying stems and place bunches of black juicy grapes into my lovely old wooden trug.

My kitchen now looks like a school science lab with chairs turned upside down with muslin strung from each leg dripping this red elixir into a large bucket.  Well our American friends can make it and so can I - grape jelly galore!

So my wrath has turned to a satisfying Yum, Yum when I spread my ruby coloured grape jelly on hot buttered toast Mmmmmmmmm

Happy autumn

Suzi