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!