watermelon!

I rarely get a watermelon to grow to ripeness. I'm wondering if I picked this one too soon as its supposed to turn completely yellow. Well, there are several more on the vines. I'm waiting to cut this one open until I have my martini glass ready!

Variety: Golden Midget from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.

watermelon martini!!

This was the most crisp and sweet watermelon I've ever tasted! It was small but really yummy. My cantaloupes didn't ripen fully, even in the long hot summer we had this year.

ripening melons

A nice hot summer and I have my first ever melons ripening! A Charentois and a San Juan. I think maybe a watermelon or two will ripen also. I can't wait to try them!!

How do I know when they are ripe???

Sunshine yellow watermelon seeds

I got a fantastic yellow fleshed watermelon from Piccadilly Farm. They told me the variety is Sunshine (Johnny's Seeds). I collected seeds from my watermelon, but now that I see its an F1 hybrid, I will throw out the seeds :( and put them on my list to order next year. I hope I can grow this great variety myself.

cucumbers and melons in the cold frame

My cold frame is overflowing with summer vines. Four cucumber varieties, four melons, one pretty little acorn squash plant. I'm admiring the mix of similar leaves that have all gotten mixed up together.

I didn't do good planning where to plant. No space to walk between trellises and difficult to search the centers of green rows for hidden green cucumbers.

I've been comparing leaves of the three curcurbits. All the same size and color. But cucumbers are pointed and star-like, melons are rounded and wide, and acorn squash has deep round lobes.

The flowers are also similar but different. Cucumbers a little bigger and bright yellow. Melon flowers paler, more delicate, and tending to look ragged from bee traffic. I'm looking forward to seeing acorn squash flowers - none yet.

baby melons

This is a big challenge for me. I would LOVE to grow a juicy sweet melon this year. No luck the last few years. But the weather is perfect so far. Maybe I will be successful. My vines look long and full so far.

I have several types of melons growing this year: Anne Arundel, Crane, Charentais, Edonis (early Charentais type) and Sugar Baby watermelon. I don't know the variety in the photo, but I'm seeing lots of little fruits setting on my vines. I am looking forward to watching them. Once squashes set, they grow fast and my guess is melons are the same.

melon plants

So far, so good on my melon plants. Last year they looked like this at the end of the season. They are snug and warm in my cold frame this year. Still growing slowly, but I think now that the weather has warmed up, they will take off.

melons and martinis

Charantais melon

Crane melon and Sugar Baby watermelon

Anne Arundale melon plant under the corn stalks

My melon plants are looking really scrawny still. The cool, wet weather has not been good for them. They've ended up buried beneath tall corn or rampant squashes. But this week is finally perfect melon weather - 90*F and full sun. Fruit is setting. But it seems late to me and I'm wondering if any will have time to ripen.

The real farmers have plenty of melons already. I had a very nice melon from Picadilly Farm (NH) last night. The good news is I've discovered another delicious martini! Perfect for the hottest days of summer. Cheers!