melon update

I've got eighteen varieties of melons in my garden this year. Almost all of them are making male flowers, and three of them JUST started making female flowers. I think one of them is already pollinated, too! I have one hybrid variety from Burpee (by way of Harris Seeds) called "Ambrosia." From John Scheeper's Kitchen Garden Seeds, I have one hybrid (Savor Charentais) and one heirloom (Montreal Market Nutmeg.) I have two open-pollinated varieties from the Franchi Sementi spa in Italy: "Rampicante Zuccherino" (which means "Climbing Sweet") and "Zatta". Zatta has more names than any other melon I've got. The Italians sometimes call it "brutto ma buono" which means "ugly, but good." Supposedly, Thomas Jefferson grew this melon and called it "Cantaloupe Massa."

And then, I have thirteen open-pollinated varieties from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. (Can you tell that I really like that company?) From B.C., I'm growing: Sakata's Sweet, Thai Golden Round, Hollybrook Luscious, Ananas, TA&M Dew, Kansas, Ginger's Pride, Old Time Tennessee, Livingston's Tip Top, D'Alger, Petit Gris de Rennes, Delice de la Table, and Noir de Carmes.

I've grown Ambrosia, Montreal Market Nutmeg, Savor Charentais, Hollybrook Luscious, Rampicante Zuccherino, Delice de la Table, and Petit Gris de Rennes before, and I would say all of them except Hollybrook are 5-star quality top-notch melons. I'd give Hollybrook Luscious 3 or 4 stars because while it's quite large, it's not very sweet.

All the other varieties are new to me. I expect that D'Algers, Noir de Carmes, Old Time Tennessee (sometimes called a "mushmelon") and Kansas should be pretty darn good, too. I really enjoy melons, my favorite plants in the garden!

Seed Company List

Abundant Life Seed Co. (organics, supplies)
Adaptive Seeds (Pacific NW adapted varieties)
Amishland Seeds (heirlooms, esp. tomatoes)
Appalachian Seeds (tomato seeds & plants)
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (heirlooms & open-pollinated)
Botanical Interests (flowers, herbs & veg seed)
Bountiful Gardens (heirloom varieties and tools)
The Chile Pepper Institute of New Mexico State University (peppers)
Comstock, Ferre & Co. (heirlooms)
Cook's Garden (seeds & plants)

Crimson Sage Medicinal Plants Nursery (certified organic)
Crosman's Seeds (veg & flowers)
D. Landreth Seed Co. (heirlooms)
Eden Organic Nursery Services (certified naturally grown)
Evergreen Seeds (Asian varieties)
FEDCO Seeds (garden supplies)
Filaree Farm Organic Seed Garlic (garlic)
Fungi Perfecti (mushrooms & mycorrhizae)
The Garlic Store (garlic)
Gourmet Garlic Gardens (garlic)

Gourmet Seed International (chef focused)
Heirloom Acres Seeds (heirlooms)
Heritage Harvest (heirlooms)
High Mowing Organic Seeds (certified organic)
Horizon Herbs (certified organic herbs)
Irish Eyes Garden Seeds (seeds, potatoes, supplies)
John Scheeper's Kitchen Garden Seeds (veg, herb & flower seed)
Johnny's Selected Seeds (seeds & supplies)
Kitazawa Seed Co. (Asian varieties)
Kusa Seed Society (grains)

Logee's Tropical Plants (tropicals)
Maine Potato Lady (taters, onions, garlic)
Marianna's Heirloom Seeds (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, herbs)
Native Seeds/S·E·A·R·C·H (Southwest native varieties)
The Natural Gardening Company (oldest certified organic nursery)
New England Seed (home & commercial growers)
New Hope Seed Co. (open-pollinated veg & tobacco)
Nichols Garden Nursery (seeds & supplies)
Old House Gardens Heirloom Flower Bulbs (heirloom bulbs)
One Green World (fruit trees & bushes)

Pantry Garden Herbs (certified organic herb seed & plants)
Peaceful Valley Seeds (organic supplies)
The Pepper Gal (peppers)
Pinetree Garden Seeds (seeds & supplies)
Plants of the Southwest (seeds & trees)
Potato Garden (taters, used to be Ronniger's + Milk Ranch)
Prairie Moon Nursery (seeds & plants)
Raintree Nursery (fruit & nut trees & bushes)
Redwood City Seed Co. (peppers & veg)
Renee's Garden (heirlooms)

R. H. Shumway's (seeds, trees, supplies)
Richters Herbs (seeds & plants)
The Sample Seed Shop (small packets, bargains)
Sand Hill Preservation Center (seeds, roots, poultry)
Sand Mountain Herbs (herbs)
Seed Savers Exchange (heirlooms & open-pollinated)
Seedman (seeds, plants & supplies)
Seeds for the South (southern adapted varieties)
Seeds from Italy (Italian varieties, Franchi Sementi distributor)
Seeds of Change (organic hybrids and open-pollinated)

Select Seeds - Antique Flowers (seeds, plants, bulbs)
Skyfire Garden Seeds (heirloom & open-pollinated, plus hogs)
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (heirloom & open-pollinated)
Stark Bros. (fruit & nut trees & bushes)
Sunrise Seeds (rare varieties)
Sustainable Seed Co. (heirlooms)
Swallowtail Garden Seeds (veg, herb, & flower seeds)
Tatiana's TOMATObase (tomatoes)
Territorial Seed Co. (seeds, plants & supplies)
Thompson & Morgan (seeds & supplies)

Thyme Garden Herb Co. (seeds & plants)
Tomato Growers Supply Co. (tomatoes)
Totally Tomatoes (tomatoes)
Trade Winds Fruit (tropical fruit & plant seed)
Turtle Tree Seeds (heirloom & open-pollinated)
Victory Seeds (heirloom & open-pollinated)
We Grow Garlic (garlic)
Wood Prairie Farm (certified organic)