Summer 2011 - December - Woo Hoo for Grapes!!!

I am so happy looking at the bunches of carolina black rose grapes every day!!! Our first since I planted the vine (bought from Daleys' Nursery) in Oct 2009. It did quite well all along except being seriously pruned by my dog two autumns ago (leaving it fruitless last spring) and getting downy mildew last autumn. I really really hope I will get to pick my own ripe grapes this autumn. Should get the vine netted very soon. 

Some of the grape leaves seem to have powdery mildew. I am getting this fungal problem on my pak choy seed pods, kao  kee leaves, hydrangea leaves and now my grape leaves as well. It is still mild and manageable but I need to find out an organic way (checking up on skim milk) to treat this as I am not happy using commercial fungicide anymore.

What a pretty ball of pink!!! Although I would love blue hydrangeas, they still came up pink this year. I will accept it. They are still pretty.

                                   

My son snapped a picture of this couple basking in the sun on our neighbours' roof. I am sure none of them is Mr Spotted Neck which we have been feeding regularly. We are loving watching pigeons. We find them so gentle, and they do not come pecking at our strawberries or kicking our mulch all over the place.  

A Quick Update.

9 Nov 2011 -  

Thunderstorms and heavy downpour with light hail overnight.
New kangkong / water spinach seeds germinated
Kangkong seedlings transplanted to patch B.
Coriander harvested. Coriander flowering.
Sown more pak choy, corn, spinach, carrot seeds.
Tung O / Edible Garland Chrysanthemum plant flowering.
Water chestnut plants taking off.
Harvesting rocket, spinach, snow peas, coriander and pak choy.

White flies problem.

Grapevine moth caterpillars on vine leaves.

The snow peas are slow to flower but once they do, their flowers quickly turn into pods and grow to maturity very soon.

So this (above) are unopened grape flowers of my Carolina Black Rose.

And this (above) is the flowers blooming. I could see both male and female flowers.

And this (above) is the cluster of grapes!!!

My pyrethrum daisies are a pretty sight.

They are the daisies which produce this chemical 'pyrethrum' that kills garden pests. I guess no insects will come close to them.

Never be sick of admiring my strawberry flowers - such daintiness, such sweetness in smell.

My hydrangeas are flowering soon but their leaves suffered burns by spring sun.

The lilies look even better this year, more blooms!

The Tung O / Edible Garland Chrysanthemum has flowered. I read that at this time, their leaves will be bitter. I hope the plant will self-sow before it dies.

Coriander flowers - I never knew they would be great at attract useful bug predators to my garden.

I am successful at growing choy sum (above) this round.

The pak choy and gai choy are allowed to flower so I can have new seeds, millions of them. Really enjoyable to watch bees clumber over the flowers out of my kitchen window.

Hooray that my water chestnut plants are growing!!! Hope to harvest some nice fresh crunchy corms in autumn!