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a good year for grapes and butterflies?
We have a 30-year-old grapevine that climbs around the dining-room window. In all those 30 years it has never produced anything edible, but we like the shape of the leaves, so have left it. This year, for the first time ever, we had a huge harvest of grapes. We picked most, but left those hanging prettily from above the window - and for the last three weeks or so the we have had red admirals almost non-stop on the grapes. They seem to be licking them.... I am glad they are finding something before their awesome journey across the Channel, and maybe across the Mediterranean - I just hope they aren't leaving it too late! -- Klara, Gatwick basin |
a good year for grapes and butterflies?
In message , Klara
writes We have a 30-year-old grapevine that climbs around the dining-room window. In all those 30 years it has never produced anything edible, but we like the shape of the leaves, so have left it. This year, for the first time ever, we had a huge harvest of grapes. We picked most, but left those hanging prettily from above the window - and for the last three weeks or so the we have had red admirals almost non-stop on the grapes. They seem to be licking them.... I am glad they are finding something before their awesome journey across the Channel, and maybe across the Mediterranean - I just hope they aren't leaving it too late! The leaves are edible as stuffed vine leaves, quite easy to make and there are lots of recipes on the Web. If the fruit aren't edible it's probably a wine grape, my parents had one and made wine most years but it was really only good for cooking. Enjoy your butterflies! -- Sue ]:(:) |
a good year for grapes and butterflies?
In message , Klara
writes If the fruit aren't edible it's probably a wine grape, my parents had one and made wine most years but it was really only good for cooking. Wine grapes *are* edible. They must be very sweet in order to produce alcohol. On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 Sacha wrote: We have a Muscat Alexandre and a Canon Hall but the former has given the best grapes this year. We've had masses of them and they're extremely sweet and delicious. I haven't noticed butterflies on them, perhaps because they're both in greenhouses but I'll have to keep an eye open. There are still plenty around the garden, though. I had many, many red admirals on all of my fruit in Normandy this year, not just the grapes. On the other hand, hardly any wasps. David -- David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Caversham, Reading, UK |
a good year for grapes and butterflies?
In message , MadCow
writes The leaves are edible as stuffed vine leaves, quite easy to make and there are lots of recipes on the Web. That's a good idea. I make stuffed cabbage leaves sometimes, this would be a nice change. If the fruit aren't edible it's probably a wine grape, my parents had one and made wine most years but it was really only good for cooking. I think that's quite possible, but they are still quite pleasant, as we discovered this year. The other years they weren't edible because they seemed to turn into raisins without ever going through the grape stage. -- Klara, Gatwick basin |
a good year for grapes and butterflies?
In message , Sacha
writes We have a Muscat Alexandre and a Canon Hall but the former has given the best grapes this year. We've had masses of them and they're extremely sweet and delicious. I haven't noticed butterflies on them, perhaps because they're both in greenhouses but I'll have to keep an eye open. There are still plenty around the garden, though. It's wonderful - there is always at least one red admiral fluttering around the window! -- Klara, Gatwick basin |
a good year for grapes and butterflies?
On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 Klara wrote:
I think that's quite possible, but they are still quite pleasant, as we discovered this year. The other years they weren't edible because they seemed to turn into raisins without ever going through the grape stage. Sounds like mildew. There's a lot of it about most years. David -- David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Caversham, Reading, UK |
a good year for grapes and butterflies?
On 14/10/06 17:17, in article , "David
Rance" wrote: On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 Klara wrote: I think that's quite possible, but they are still quite pleasant, as we discovered this year. The other years they weren't edible because they seemed to turn into raisins without ever going through the grape stage. Sounds like mildew. There's a lot of it about most years. Our Canon Hall have gone swiftly for the 'noble rot' stage! -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/ |
a good year for grapes and butterflies?
David Rance writes
they seemed to turn into raisins without ever going through the grape stage. David Rance writes Sounds like mildew. There's a lot of it about most years. David That, sadly, is only too likely - this low-lying area is really terrible for mildew :-((( -- Klara, Gatwick basin |
a good year for grapes and butterflies?
On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 Sacha wrote:
I think that's quite possible, but they are still quite pleasant, as we discovered this year. The other years they weren't edible because they seemed to turn into raisins without ever going through the grape stage. Sounds like mildew. There's a lot of it about most years. Our Canon Hall have gone swiftly for the 'noble rot' stage! You're lucky! More often than not it's the grey rot! David -- David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Caversham, Reading, UK |
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