Melons!

[digitS']

Do you have a special relationship with melons?

I do. It may have started when my mother told Dad that if he moved the garden closer to the house, she would tend it. She planted one thing: cantaloupe melons . I'm sure that it was with her knowledge but I would "steal" a melon, carry it beyond the irrigation ditch to a special place in the berry brambles, and eat it! I discovered that I had a special belt buckle that could serve as both a knife to cut the rind and a spoon. So, there I was, a kid of about 11, enjoying melons along with the calls of the quail and doves - the Border Collie Tina watching over me from the other side of the irrigation ditch.

I became a gardener. Then, I moved north - right past Oregon's wonderful melon growing area around Hermiston. Beyond Walla Walla ... north of the Palouse, to a place in the ranges of the Rockies. Now Steve, grow your melons!!

@ninnymary has Petit Gris de Rennes Melon this year and, she is happy with them! Do you grow melons? Would you like to? Which ones? There seems to be lots of varieties to choose from.

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, watermelon and cantaloupe are my favorite fruits. I have them almost every morning with cottage cheese and a slice of sourdough toast with peanut butter for breakfast.

I have Petit Gris de Rennes not Noir de Carmes. Unless Noir de Carmes means something else. Don't speak French.

Mary

 

[flowerbug]

Do you have a special relationship with melons?

I do. It may have started when my mother told Dad that if he moved the garden closer to the house, she would tend it. She planted one thing: cantaloupe melons . I'm sure that it was with her knowledge but I would "steal" a melon, carry it beyond the irrigation ditch to a special place in the berry brambles, and eat it! I discovered that I had a special belt buckle that could serve as both a knife to cut the rind and a spoon. So, there I was, a kid of about 11, enjoying melons along with the calls of the quail and doves - the Border Collie Tina watching over me from the other side of the irrigation ditch.

I became a gardener. Then, I moved north - right past Oregon's wonderful melon growing area around Hermiston. Beyond Walla Walla ... north of the Palouse, to a place in the ranges of the Rockies. Now Steve, grow your melons!!

@ninnymary has Petit Gris de Rennes Melon this year and, she is happy with them! Do you grow melons? Would you like to? Which ones? There seems to be lots of varieties to choose from.

Steve

that is quite a picture you paint there you rascal.

we have tried to grow canteloups once and didn't get much results. years ago (before i was here) they grew watermelons and they had a good crop but people came and stole them one weekend when they were gone.

i like watermelon more than canteloups. can completely pass on honeydew melons which have little to no taste to me. canteloups i would probably like a lot more if we could actually grow them here to finish well enough. i am curious about the miniature ones that may ripen early enough, but as of yet have not really looked into it.

 

[digitS']

It's corrected ...

Sheesh! It's all Greek in my melon brain, Mary.

What I was doing was remembering a report on the early maturity of Noir de Carmes melons. Wondering about that mysterious French variety. The earliest in that information was a Noir de Carmes hybrid. I once grew to wonderful ripening a Charentais hybrid. It was discontinued. Tried 2 other Charentais hybrids but was completely unimpressed with their performance.

Maybe the Ukrainian Collective Farm Woman melon would do okay. I believe that the climate in the Ukraine is somewhat similar to the northern part of the Wild West.

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, it shouldn’t be all Greek in your melon brain. It should be French! Qui?

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Maybe the Ukrainian Collective Farm Woman melon would do okay. I believe that the climate in the Ukraine is somewhat similar to the northern part of the Wild West.

I grew that one year. One year is hardly a test, but at least that year the melons that developed never had time to ripen. I think I could do better these days.

 

[digitS']

My Honey Girl Charentais hybrid failed one year out of 5, @thistlebloom .

That was good enough that I gave one of its replacements a 2 year trial. Nope.

Goddess and Halona were my cantaloupe in 2018. Halona ripened but didn't rise to Goddess elevations.

Steve

 

[digitS']

We have eaten a couple - Goddess cantaloupe and Diplomat galia.

They weren't quite ripe! Full-slip but that final leaf should wither.

So much for over-anticipating ... at least, they didn't cause a stomach ache . I don't have enough on the vines to make errors in judgment!

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

We have eaten a couple - Goddess cantaloupe and Diplomat galia.

They weren't quite ripe! Full-slip but that final leaf should wither.

So much for over-anticipating ... at least, they didn't cause a stomach ache . I don't have enough on the vines to make errors in judgment!

Steve

It’s tricky to know when to pick at their best.

Mary

 

[AMKuska]

Not really. I can't seem to grow them or any kind of squash in my garden at all.