This morning I dug up a grape vine from my mum’s garden to transplant into my daughter’s.  I planted it about five years ago and it has produced a lot of fruit over the past two years and had a good crop on it this year too. It’s the worst time of year to be transplanting and of course I’ve had to cut off about 90% of the growth and sacrifice this years fruit but I’m really hoping it will grow. 

Mum’s house is being sold so it would be really nice if it takes in Gemma’s garden. 

Yesterday I Moved the canes at the top of my runner beans to make it wider. Placed a frame of a Pantograph made from pieces of a cane on the top. Sure they grew overnight.

We've only ever moved two grape vines Caz; one worked and produces a decent chardonnay crop each year; one died within the year. Good luck with that.

After my Mum died, and before they pulled down the cottage which was her last home and where I grew up, I sneaked through the restrictive fence of the then-building site and pinched everything I could find of Mum's, including a cracked old planter, snowdrops and various other plants. All these are doing well!

Picked a crop on Blackcurrants from my garden today. I have three bushes in the border, two facing West/South West, of which one produced nothing and the other produced a handful.  The third faces North/North West and produced enough to make four jars of lovely jam.  I’m re-thinking their positions for next year as I love Blackcurrant jam!  

Harvest is in full swing, and although none of my tomatoes from seed are ready for harvesting yet, french beans and courgettes are abundant, pumpkins are setting well, aubergines, peppers and cucumbers are all harvest ready (some huge cucumbers already picked) and the last of the purple peas are giving up their fruits. The plums are a bit less blighty than previous years as we thinned them out earlier on, and it looks to be a bumper year for walnuts on the way. Shallots too are just about ready to collect.

The rest of the garden is a spectrum of delight- bright yellows, reds and blues among the more muted colours that have been kept rich by the rainy moments this summer.

Today I was very pleasantly surprised by a pair of lush green leaf buds emerging higher up!  It’s Gemma’s birthday too!  

Really excellent news, on at least three fronts I can think of! (regeneration, reward for effort & link with family); well done Caz; & maybe some fruits next year. 

Currently raising a glass of wine, to your vine! (Not working tomorrow, it's okay).

So glad the vine survives with plenty of memories.  Hope it sees through the next few days.

The vine, named Barbara after my mum of course, has a sturdy stem so I’m not worried about wind damage today.  Just as well because Gemma lives up on a ridge which is exposed to the elements.  Today, the two new leaves have been joined by two more small ones and two of the lower buds have also burst open and are showing green leaf.  I’m over the moon!  

I’ve tried several times to take cuttings, both from my mum’s vine and from mine but with absolutely no success!  Next year I’m going to have more serious attempts, as it would be nice for other members of the family to share something from it.

We’re now thinking of digging up a pear tree from mum’s garden, something else that I bought her.  It’s only been there about four years but hasn’t done very well and may do better in Gemma’s.  

Have been harvesting Runner Beans weekly. Mange Tout and Sugar Snap daily. Herbs are in regular use but curly-leaf parsley is top of the list at the moment. Growing room is full of tomatoes all be it still green. Shall be overrun when the color change takes place.

Our sweetcorn cobs have come to full size weeks earlier than last year; but the tomatoes are slower to ripen.

Last, of my greens and potatoes are now in the slow cooker.   All grown in pots and tubs. No more flowers appeared. so they have now been pulled out and awaiting the trip to be recycled. Herbs have liked the weather and have flourished. Will last until the end of October.   

Toms now ripening faster than I can use them; 2 aubergines, 3 pumpkins and 7 peppers. Melons swelling and plums ripening nicely.

Lots of nasty little triangular flies biting legs and feet, mostly on the lawn areas. Really bad reaction to these.

This morning's torrential rain and breeze have half emptied the walnut tree. I have an estimated 500 walnuts in 2 baskets, and haven't even collected from the shrubs and veg beds yet. 

Can anyone help please. I got some weird small mushroom things in my garden they are white, beige sort of colour. All grow close together mainly. I've tried weed killer but they just keep coming back any suggestions please

Seeds now collected from all the perennials; nasurtiums ramping everywhere but they'll seed themselves - but for the nasturtiums, need to watch for frosts. Let them experience a frost and they go revoltingly claggy, so need to be cleared a day or two before.

Do you pickle your nasturtium pods, DEW? They vaguely resemble capers. A project for next year if you don't. Roger

https://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/nasturtium-flower-butter-and-nasturtium-caper-recipes

https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/4112/

Roger

Not all October Gloom. Still colour in the garden. Thule conifer has green and lime coloured leave. Pyracantha is covered in orange berries. 5 different colours of cyclamen are doing well. Cosmos are flowering also. Heathers are in flower and will last a long time.

I haven't pickled pods, but I've put flowers in salads, much to the astonishment of a great-niece

"You ... don't ... eat... flowers"

Such has been the nature of the weather here- wet with warm nights- everything is still verdant in our garden. The walnut has (& is still) shed a record harvest, but the rest looks like summer. Peppers, chillies and aubergines are still flowering and setting. They'll be conservatoried for the winter.

Still lots of summer colour in my borders, as well as autumn colour from plums, grapes and pyracantha. 

The vine is fruiting!

I have two in my garden and we seem to have a tradition of inheriting grape vines, as these belonged to my brother who died 7 years ago.  He’d bought them but never got to plant them and they were still in their pots a year later, so I gave them a home.  

A home for fleas
A hive for bees

[Hair - 1968]

The 'unnoticed insect apocalypse': How people in towns and cities can help
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-50406278

Spot some of the less-than-perfect images chosen:
A recently-arrived non-native species - now widespread across the country?
Daffodils helping insect diversity?
Build your own bee box - for honeybees?
Errr.

Nevertheless - a bee box/hotel for the garden makes a nice Christmas present - home made or bought.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway/features/how-to-build-a-bee-box

Roger