Vine street

 

Now here's a surprise, grapes. Ten years of waiting for some sign of fruiting and now five bunches of mini-grapes show up in the same year.

And I can't understand why it's happened this summer rather than all those others. When we moved in there were two vines growing into an old greenhouse, which had rotted and partially-collapsed around them.

It had all been set up so that the vines had their roots outside and their foliage inside. The greenhouse had to go - it was an accident waiting to happen - so I took it apart and built a shed on its block base. 

Time has gone on and one vine is no longer with us, but the remaining one has made masses of growth each summer. But never any sign of fruit.

A couple of years ago I did build a little open-sided wood store against the shed and the vine has been growing partly under the shelter of its corrugated, clear plastic roof. Its leaves form a green roof under the plastic one.

Perhaps that's why it has finally decided I deserve a few grapes - because I gave it back shelter. Whatever it's about I'm really looking forward to eating those grapes, or perhaps I should try making Vin de Cych.