More of Autumn

Click on the picture to enlarge if needed. Clockwise from top left: Blueberry on Ash leaves, side garden carpet, Berberis, Field Maple

Do you ever find you get distracted on the simplest of your tasks? I went into the garden late yesterday afternoon to quickly gather some herbs for the casserole I was making, and once again my garden made me stray from what I was doing! In spite of the drizzly rain, I just had to rush indoors, grab my camera and take some more shots of the autumn leaves in and around my garden. I've spoken before about the burnt oranges and reds we're having this year. However, they're the mere highlights. Most of our autumnal colour's bright yellow. It's mainly due the abundant birch, field maple and dogwoods we have around here that make it so. The yellow's tended to be the last colour to fall so lots of it's still on the trees. But as you can see we now have a thick, bright yellow carpet too - shining out despite the rain.

BTW we've been clearing out our garage lately, where NAH found some homemade wine I made over twenty years ago. It's surprisingly drinkable and the remains of the bottle of sloe wine also found its way into the casserole alongside the herbs. Once I'd finished taking my photos of course.

Comments

  1. Lucy Corrander17 November 2008 at 08:58

    That's incredible about the wine.

    What kind was it? Elderberry is my favourite of the home-made wines I've tasted. Beetroot isn't bad. Parsnip surprisingly ok.

    And the most exotic - Gorse Flower. (The friends who made that did it only once because the flowers took so long to pick. A shame because it was quite special with a sort of honey scent to it.)

    Lucy

    ReplyDelete
  2. VP17 November 2008 at 09:03

    Hi Lucy - good to see you! It was sloe wine made in 1984/85. I remember when it was first made it was very dry and I used to put it with my over sweet elderberry to make a passable mulled wine. Now it's absolutely gorgeous, just the right level of sweetness and a lovely deep clear rich red ruby colour. Just as well we forgot about it! We also found a bottle of my apple wine - that tasted more like sherry and will be passable for cooking. We've still got a bottle of redcurrant to try.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shibaguyz17 November 2008 at 09:18

    Okay... now we have GOT TO try making our own wine. We've been toying with the idea for a while now and you've finally inspired us to take the leap!

    ReplyDelete
  4. VP17 November 2008 at 09:52

    Hey Guyz - I can't believe you're not doing that already! You'll love the results - just don't leave it for 20 years before drinking it like I did ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Zoë17 November 2008 at 10:25

    Never tried making wine either, although I have plenty of memories of being very tipsy after supping on my grandads glass as a child, Perrys, pear, damson, and slow were all made.

    My only foray into this is Ginger Beer, which I havent done in years either.

    Sounds delish though. Have you tried making Sloe Gin?

    ReplyDelete
  6. VP17 November 2008 at 10:30

    Hi Zoe - yes they can be surprisingly alcoholic can't they. The sloe wine was very fruity and slipped down a treat, but I realised later I was slightly squiffy to say the least!

    I haven't had a go at making sloe gin, but my friend does. I usually help her pick the sloes at the side of our house - for a small fee of course :)

    I've been meaning to have a go at making ginger beer - is it difficult? My nan used to have a 'ginger beer plant' is that what you used too?

    ReplyDelete
  7. emmat17 November 2008 at 11:20

    YOU DRANK SOMETHING HOMEMADE THAT WAS TWENTY YEARS OLD?????? i'm amazed you didn't get botulism. Although if it was gorse flower Mead I might be persuaded

    ReplyDelete
  8. Helen/patientgardener17 November 2008 at 12:13

    Sounds like a boozy casserole!

    ReplyDelete
  9. F Cameron17 November 2008 at 14:26

    I know what you mean! I always get distracted in my garden!

    Your wine story is pretty amazing!

    Cameron

    ReplyDelete
  10. Gary17 November 2008 at 14:27

    You must do Sloe gin, lethal stuff! We didn't do any this year as the birds got there first. Strawberry gin is great too.

    Gary

    ReplyDelete
  11. VP17 November 2008 at 14:52

    Emma - no, we're still here :) It was as good as Lucy's Gorse flower mead, I can assure you.

    PG - It was - and a boozy accompaniament too!

    Cameron - more distraction to follow - It happened again today. I find it a bit unbelievable too - that wine must have moved with us at least 3 times, why didn't we drink it sooner?

    Gary - It's a bit late here too. I think I'm going to make a new year's resoloution to make more of our hedgerow harvest - we're just yards away from it after all. Makes economic sense as well as being fun!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mr. McGregor's Daughter17 November 2008 at 17:27

    I think there's some of our wine that's almost that old still hanging about in my parents' basement. My brother & I were on a winemaking kick from mid-80s to the mid 90's (when I had my kids, just one more victim of motherhood). It is so much better than anything available commercially. Isn't it fun to sip your own wine & remember making it. I can almost smell the fermenting grapes.

    ReplyDelete
  13. VP18 November 2008 at 07:25

    MMD - sounds like you need to go and raid your parents' basement!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous18 November 2008 at 08:46

    Some lovely autumn colour there VP. No danger of homemade wine lasting 20 years here and there's only himself who drinks it :) He was most disappointed that the grapevine at the allotment yielded so few grapes this year. My homemade drink production and consumption to date has been limited to elderflower cordial which is a most refreshing liquid.

    ReplyDelete
  15. VP18 November 2008 at 20:33

    Hi Anna - I had no grapes from my allotment vines this year :(
    I'm hoping to make some elderflower cordial AND champagne next year :)

    ReplyDelete

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