Love Affair with Autumn Colours

 

 

There is something magical about the colours of autumn, a sense of wellbeing, crops safely harvested, evenings sitting in front of an open fire. No doubt a lot of this sense of contentment is due to my outlook across the open countryside to the sea. I’m very fortunate to have a vine covered terrace to look at from every corner of the house.  The early morning are best, mist drifting through the trees, rain drops sparkle among the dark foliage of the every green trees, while the early birds break into their morning song.

 

Best of all is to view this scene bordered by the “Glory Vine”. I have no  idea what the correct name may be, but glory vine seems good enough for me. I believe the vine's true home is the north-east corner of the United States, and it made it’s way to Europe in the 19^th cent to help fight phylloxera a plant louse that was devastating the vineyards of France. American vines are resistant due to their heavier root system.  Whether this variety was used  for this purpose or not I don’t know, but there is no denying its attractiveness.

The glory vine is not hard to grow, simply take a cutting about 18ins long in the autumn from hardened wood, about the thickness of your finger , push it about two thirds into the ground and it should shoot in the spring. Make sure you plant your cutting the right way up. Water during the first summer and by the next autumn your vine should be ready to plant out.  As you can see from my vine [ they are growing in mud stone] the glory vine is very tough. In very good soil they could present serious competition to Jack’s bean stalk. When you first plant them out only leave the two strongest shoots and then reduce this to one shoot later in the summer when established in their new home. This will help in the development of a strong trunk.

The glory vine does not bear fruit, so you do not need to contend with bird droppings during fruiting season. The vigour of the vine creates a wonderful shaded area for hot summer days. Then there is always somewhere to set up a table for those long summer lunches, and finally the pleasure of marvellous autumn colours. Throughout winter the vine throws ever changing patterns on the wall , another delight. So if you have a spot to plant some glory vines, don’t hesitate do it now and enjoy the pleasure for the next forty years.