A pretty day

 The morning was fairly cool and I decided to pick a few grapes. It seems uncle Jimmy had the same idea, he's always welcome to come share anything we have.

Not the best shot - Can you spot all the persimmons?

 The persimmon tree is loaded this year, I would try to make something from some of them, but I would probably botch that up too, so maybe someone else can do something with them.

Uncle Jimmy - picking grapes for jelly

He picked that bucketful in about five minutes. It took me a lot longer to fill mine. I did a lot of talking and gazing though. It's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. :-) The neighbor picked 2 - five gallon pails ... must be making a huge batch of wine. She told DH she still had many more to pick. (Glad it's her ...)

I hope you are having a fruitful weekend!

Old lady excitement

I knew my project was supposed to work, but I am always ready for that disappointment of an experiment gone awry. I guess you could say I am a pessimist as far as growing things go. Usually, it all dies as if I have a poison thumb. I was greatly surprised last night when I checked my cuttings. It's been a while since I did them. Maybe 2 weeks? I looked and I had new green growth on one of them! This morning, I went to take a picture and - Ta Da - it's a little bigger and there is another one showing new growth! The instructions say that new growth means the roots are starting! This must be how God felt. Wow. Way better than seeds! The starters are both blueberry. Nothing on the flowering almond yet. The crab was as I expected - dead, dried up ...

Ceres must be proud, eh?

Alive, but suffering from heat exhaustion.

The Morning Glory vines are also suffering - I have yet to cut them out of the flowerbed. Once they get in, they are hard to get out. I like them though, so I am undecided about their future.

Not busy, distracted

The battery is dead on my camera, I forgot to charge it. Just words, or screen shots today. Since my amble in the back yard on Saturday, I have been thinking about maybe cleaning some of it up. Not me personally, of course, but hiring some student(s) to do my bidding. 

The old fashioned grapes are in such a sad state, but they are alive. I'm considering pruning them way back this winter. Some YoYo used barbed wire for the vine support. It's rusty and dangerous. The posts are rotten and falling apart. I believe that by remedying the mess, it will enhance the value of the property. May have to sacrifice the blackberries and persimmons, but it's all concentrated in a 3 foot strip along our property line.

Found a couple blueberry branches stripped of leaves - not sure what happened there. Moth larva? Also, may have had some animal in the berries. Monday they were fine - yesterday, one side of one of the bushes is practically without berries and numerous branches broken down. Deer? Raccoons? The dogs don't eat them ...

I will admit to a bit of puzzle-mania. This one's a doozie!

Found a super easy blackberry wine recipe that uses half gallon quart jars. I think I will try to adapt to blueberries and then make it less strong so I could possible enjoy it without getting stiff off the fumes. :-)

I tried taking some cuttings to make another blueberry bush from the one that makes the bigger berries. No idea if it is going to work at all, but giving it a shot. I have no idea what the names of each of the plants are and I would like at least one more like that one, not only to look neater in the yard (filling in the gap from one that didn't make it through Jill's puppyhood) and if I live long enough - to enjoy!

I am also going to try to make some more flowering almond and hibiscus. Nothing lost if they don't make it and I seem to have nothing but time. This stuff doesn't appear to take any effort. Something to do.

I hope you are all having a great week, continue on!

Country Living with a City Boy

This would be a great little family fruit farm, but ...

Blackberries - could have used some rain (or watering)

Bronze and Purple Scuppernong, just starting to set fruit.

Jill and Tacky Cat

Old Fashioned Grapes

This is one (1) out of hand muscadine with honeysuckle and elderberries growing in it.

The shy cat who adopted us this spring. He stays to eat ...

Some of the trumpet vines that took over the grapes and blackberries on the north side of the house.

This was a surprise wild plum, next to the apple tree that has no fruit this year.

 Everything needs to be pruned, cleaned up and straightened out. When the house goes on the market, the new owners will have their work cut out for them, don't you think?