You mean you haven't got a halogen light and a long extension cord? Edna your slipping LOL. I can just imagine how you feel after tracking down the elusive and then actually get it. A big high 5!!!

Annette

LIST OF THINGS TO DO:

1. Buy a halogen light lamp
2. Put the halogen strobe light in storage (it doesn't
work well for digging holes. Scared the neighbors)

Congratulations of finding them; now tell me, are they currents or grapes; I am confused.

For some reason I have stayed enthusiastic all fall and winter. I blame (actually it's a good thing) on this very active forum.

I have never in my life ordered seeds before mid-February. I now have two orders laying on the back porch. I am now perusing the fruit tree catalog from ACN.

This time last year I was recovering from surgery and gardening was the furthest thing from my mind. But this year Christmas was just a blip between growing seasons. I am so jazzed this year I went out yesterday and was bound and determined to find the seed-starting stuff that I need to get growing. I went to five stores before I found one, Lowes, that had their spring seeds, pots and mixes on the shelves.

Then I spent way more than I should have, but I rationalized (and who wouldn't?) that if I don't use it this year I'll have it ready for next year and won't have to go out scrounging all over to find them. I got about a zillion peat pellets and the starting trays, peat pots and starting mix. I need some grow lights too. I saved a lot of seeds last summer and bought a few yesterday. Also got an almanac-my Grandmother always planted according to the almanac. Cheryl

Since we are able to play in our gardens 365 days a year, I don't get a break from the doing. But, this winter season I have been enjoying my gardens more and doing some projects that I want done before summer's heat and humidity get here. All of the beautiful gardens shown here have inspired me to plant more flowers from seeds and cuttings. Roses are blooming like crazy right now and the air is sweetly scented.

Enjoy your champagne vines Edna. Take pictures too. We want to see.

FlowerLady

gldno1, champagne grapes are miniature grapes. Not used for making champagne. On occasion you can find the grapes for sale in specialty food stores like Whole Foods. When dried they are called currants.

seamommy, I hope you recovered well from your surgery. Happy sowing :-)

Flower, keep those pictures coming ... they inspire us.

Edna,

Glad to hear about your garden fever! It sounds like you've got great ideas and plans for your garden.

Cameron

I keep looking at the gooseberry plants in the catalogs. However, fruits (and fruit trees) of any kind take extra attention if you want healthy plants and good harvests. I'm not sure I'd keep to the pruning and spraying schedules they require either. I very guilty of that when it comes to my apple, peach and plum trees. Anyone grow gooseberries?

It's not a big deal! You do a dormant spray in the spring before leaves, after that, nothing!! That is the organic way....after that, it's vaseline covered red globes. Maybe a few other things, if you really get into it...pruning can be postponed, but not completely ignored!!!

Nancy.

Ah, the marvels of the internet and Wikipedia for clearing up mysteries:

The Zante currant (Vitis vinifera) or currant is a variety of small, sweet, seedless grape named after Corinth (currant) and the Ionian island of Zakynthos (Zante) and not to be confused with the Ribes berries "currants" (eg blackcurrant, redcurrant, white currant) which are in a different family altogether. Their name apparently comes from Old French "raisins de Corauntz"; "Zante" is a recent prefix given to distinguish them from the Ribes berries "currants".
There was even a picture of a box of Sunmaid's 'Zante Currants' and a comparison of the smaller Zante raisins with regular seedless raisins.

I was only familiar with currants like Glenda knows, from the Ribes family. We had a currant bush in north GA when I was a child, one of the few things I cannot remember the taste but I remember eating them off the bush. We put currants in mincemeat. Gooseberries are also in the Ribes family?

Elsewhere I read that Zante grapes are sweet and tasty when ripe. That reminds me, my scuppernong grapes have to be pruned, and soon.

Nell

Nell, the word mincemeat caught my eye. I have been looking for some old-time recipes for it. Do you have one?

I know Grandma put meat in hers but no one in the family remembers much else.

If Nell doesn't have one I've got my grandmother's 1945 Purity Cookbook with 3 different types of mincemeat, one made with suet, english mincemeat using suet and raw minced beef and another called green tomato mincemeat using butter. If any of these interest you I could copy it for you. I know gran made her own mincemeat, don't remember which one she made, I do know she put brandy in hers which always struck me funny as she was a tea tottler. She put brandy in her white sauce for her home made plum pudding which was also well laced with, I'm not sure what she poured in that LOL.

Annette

Annette will have to give you REAL mincemeat recipes.

When I used to make mince pies, I bought a jar of mincemeat, that famous brand that I can't remember the name. Bordens? The stuff in the jar took care of suet, currants and spices. I chopped apples, shredded lean well-done roast beef, and added raisins and brandy, sampling until it tasted somewhat like what my half-sister used to make.

Nell

Was it Crosse and Blackwells mincemeat? That's what I usually use. It's $5.99 for a small jar now (!). I think it already has the brandy or rum in it. Never thought about adding the meat like you do.

Adding fresh apple and extra raisins, helped the mincemeat, too. I think I may have used both Bordens and Cross and Blackwell, at one time or another. It would still need extra brandy, wouldn't it?

I have come to appreciate golden raisins of late. I put them in my oatmeal/fruit/nut/coconut cookies. It's how I justify eating fruitcake by handfuls: it's an oatmeal cookie. Healthier, right?

Nell

Currants are also used in making Irish Soda bread.

I'm scratching my head wondering where I'm going to plant these 6 vines in my front yard? I have no back yard to speak of. My garden will look like a bloody vineyard. I already have 1 Thompson seedless that is growing along my picket fence. I just may have to get rid of 3 vines :-( What was I thinking by ordering 6! I just couldn't help myself.

Nell please tell me more about the grapes you have. I've never heard of scuppernong grapes before.

Scuppernongs are a bronze muscadine grape. Muscadines, which are a very dark color, grow wild at wood's edge here. Both have a small round leaf. They grow in very small clusters or singly. They're mostly used for jelly or grape juice. Some vineyards make a scuppernong wine.

The 2 scuppernongs we grow are hybrids, developed from wild grapes found by settlers in the Carolinas. One is much sweeter than the other, but both are delicious, right off the vine.

Nell

Here is a link that might be useful: More than You Want to Know about Scuppernongs

Scuppernongs are the nectar of the gods. If you've never had a scuppernong, someone needs to FedEx you some next August. They grow wild near my parents' house in SC. They also have Muscadines nearby. My uncle has a whole trellis of the two mixed together.

I need to move my Gird Grapes. They are small like Champagne grapes, but dark purple. My Great-uncle made wine with them, but Grannie (his sister) made jam. We grandkids ate them off the vines...when allowed. Yum! Fruit is ready in late summer.

I have to move them closer to the house so I can water them. The trellis I am using is part of a freight pallet that held huge parts from Bowing airplanes. Still has their name on it (hehehe). It is h-e-a-v-y! I want to put it up against the greenhouse on the west side or by the patio for summer shade. Gotta find some strong bodies to move it for me first. I can't even budge it.

Good luck with your Champagne grapes. I love those little honey colored currents. Great to put in cakes, cookies and Christmas Pudding.

~ Annie

I KNEW I had a pic of scuppernongs from last August. I just now found it, looking for something else. I wanted to show you it.

{{gwi:637181}}

They don't look or taste like grapes from the store, but they sure are tasty.

Nell

I just CAN NOT stand scuppernogs! I wish I could. I really want to. I like the jelly though so I may grow some. My friend has nice table grapes but with pits. I need a lovely table grape that is relatively sprayless (at least chemical free) here.
I LOVE ribes currants and have not heard of any other (or eaten) type. I grew up with currants in our yard. We made our Welsh treats from them and jelly too.

Annette, I didn't get back to this post until this morning.

I finally found a couple of mincemeat recipes in an old Ozark Cookin' book that I have, one using meat and a green tomato one. That will give me a basis. I need to check with my aunt, but I doubt grandma ever put liquor in it.

Man, I have nothing to add to this except all of you have made me hungry. I'm going to my refrigerator now...Maybe there's something in there, but it won't be a mincemeat pie. :-(