Because we didn't have enough stuff to do this spring already

Tub o' muscadines

We went to Ison's!

Yeah, I know. We are up to our bootays in projects. But ever since I heard Greg Ison speak at the Botanical Garden this winter, I've been dying to visit his nursery and buy a few things. The s.o. felt the same way, so we took a little field trip.

What you see here is a bathtub full of bronze muscadines. (Most people refer to all bronze muscadines as scuppernongs, but strictly speaking, scuppernong is only one variety of bronze grape--one, in fact, that we did not purchase.) We have:

• 2 Triumph (pollinators)
• 2 Early Fry
• 1 Pam
• 2 Janet

These will, Mr. Ison says, span the season from mid-August until the end of September so we are not inundated with grapes all at once. Because muscadines are much, much more productive than regular bunch grapes.

We also bought:

• 3 seedless Concord grapes
• 2 Montmorency cherry trees
• 6 Heritage red raspberries

...because I am a glutton for punishment and intend to keep trying to grow Yankee stuff until we have proven beyond all doubt that it is impossible to do so. Heh. No, not really. We failed in the past, but that was mostly because of deer, I think, which we are better prepared to repel this time. And this time we have really good advice to help us along.

I am so excited. Now if only this cold snap would get overwith so we can get planting!

P.S. Major thrifting score: Two Elizabeth David cookbooks--her Mediterranean and Summer Cooking volumes. 50 cents each. Duuuuuude.