The Grapes of (W)rot(h)!

I have always fancied a grape vine bower. You know the kind of thing, a gnarled old vine wandering up and over a pergola, bunches of grapes ripening in the sunshine, a comfy couch to loll on in the shade beneath, and sun warmed grapes just a stretch away to feast on while the Kindle balances on one knee.

Yes, I had that picture clearly in my mind, so when we were planning the garden, I decided to plant a couple of vines against the courtyard wall, so that they could climb up a very natty wooden rail that Rob made, and shade part of the courtyard, enabling us to set up a couch/garden table and chairs/ice bucket and glasses/books and cushions etc. A very good idea in principle, but it was impossible to dig holes exactly where I wanted them, so the holes were dug where I could get the spade in more than 10 cms. And in went the vines to be tended and watered and trained to climb in the right direction. One died soon after and the other one battled on against the wind.


And now, a few years later we have this.

Our healthy vine!

It managed to get to the top of the wall and spread sideways so that I could fasten the tendrils to the rope and wooden rungs and finally this year after a couple of years of practice, our vine was mature enough to bear lots of beautiful bunches of seedless, white grapes for us to eat.

Let me clarify that. We didn't actually eat them. We watched them daily, tasted them every now and then to check for sourness and finally we declared them ripe and ready to pick. However, overnight the word spread in the garden too and yesterday when we came out to harvest our crop, we found that they had been devoured by bees, ants, birds, flies and large beetle things! I am sure that the buck popped past to have a taste too, because there was nothing left but a few shrivelled empty husks and fly chewed bits.

Hmmmmm, no thanks!

However, I'm not too sad because I found this exquisite birds nest sheltered among the leaves. It belongs to a Cape White Eye, a tiny and beautifully made cup, bound with spider web, covered with moss and lined with Alfie's fur.

Tiny and perfect.

With nectar, fruit and insects right on their doorstep and fresh water a flutter away, what more could they possibly need?

So we wait another year for our turn.............*sigh*