Back in August, I told you one of Chitter’s watermelon plants decided to produce. Between then and now-her plants have produced about a dozen watermelons. Who knows why they waited so long to start. She planted them early in the year-just before we planted our tomato plants.
I’ve been telling her-there probably wouldn’t be time for the melons to mature enough for us to eat them before cold weather. But the one I showed you back in August was deemed ready to pick a few days ago. I was terrified we’d cut into a green watermelon-but it was actually ripe and tasted quite good.
At least once a day-if not more-Chitter would convince someone to go check on the watermelons with her-no telling how many times she went by herself. Maybe all the attention she showered on her plants made a difference-or maybe she crawled backward to the garden when she planted the seeds. (if you don’t remember why crawling backward would have helped-click here)
Tipper
Appalachia Through My Eyes – A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia.
That’s a lovely picture of the proud gardener!
Last autumn I got one of those melonball spoons in a dollar bag of tagsale treasures. Never had one before, but it’s certainly earning it’s place in my little silverware drawer! In the past month there’s been a big bowl of melon balls in my fridge pretty much all the time. What a simple luxury, to always have a refreshing snack on hand! Cantaloupe and watermelon is my favorite mix so far. I toss the scooped-out hulls to the hens, and they get every last bit of goodness, leaving only a very thin skin for the compost pile.
Wonderful that your daughter’s vine produced so well. I wish I could eat watermelon but have been severely allergic to it all my life. LOL Sure smells good and the color of a ripe watermelon is beautiful inside and out!!! Blessings to all.
Chitter checking on her melons several times each day reminded me of my wife and her first experience at gardening. After planting the seeds we had purchased we had a small space left. She asked what else we could plant. My answer was,”Lots of things, but you only want to plant things at least one of liked to eat-what else do you like?” Her answer, “I like spaghetti.” I ‘found’ some seeds for her and we planted them.
She looked at the garden on arising in the morning, after getting dressed for work, twice on her lunch break, when she came home from work, after supper and with a flashlight at bedtime.
I bought a box of spaghetti, stuck it in the ground and suggested we have spaghetti for supper that evening. I showed her how to gently break it off so as to not get the dirty roots. She really enjoyed harvesting for the first time in her life. She even suggested we might have a bigger garden next year. As we ate she commented that, “Fresh spaghetti tasted so much better than that in the box from the store.” I couldn’t keep a straight face after that and confessed. You can probably guess at her reaction. We painted that kitchen three times and could still see the spaghetti sauce stains on the wall when we moved. She was a very gulible city girl but she has learned well in our 48 years of marrage. I have to work very hard now to pull one on her.
“Thou shalt not steal” excludes apples, watermelons and kisses.
Watermelon is my FAVORITE fruit. I cut them into 4 pieces. My wife doesn’t normally eat it, so it takes me 4 days to finish one off. A good watermelon with a little salt and I am really happy.
After seeing that watermelon, I think Chitter ought to take a turn at planting beans by the signs next year. Some people are just blest with the ability to grow anything without really trying! Chitter may be one of those people, I hope so, it will serve her well in her future.
I gave up on growing watermelons…just never had any luck. But I do still like to eat them! Maybe I’ll try again next year…and crawl backwards to the garden and check them every day! Congratulations Chitter! I’m glad it was a good one!
That’s a beautiful picture! Glad her watermelon patch produced some good ones.
Don’t know if it’s our soil or what but we’ve never been able to grow any here in middle TN. Or cantalopes either.
We had a crazed uncle called “Lishe” (Elijah, I guess). Anyway he had a big melon patch which my young teen brothers decided to raid.
“Lishe” turned up on the horizon with his shotgun leading to a famous family saying “It’s Lishe–And he’s running!!”.
So were my brothers!! They made a safe getaway & left that melon patch alone after that!
Chitter was not the only one that had a very late watermelon season. Why the plants stalled and waited until later to take off again is a mystery to me also? I finally got one, although it was not as nice as Chitter’s. It was tasty and very sweet even if it was a runt!:D
Congrats to Chitter on her very nice watermelon! With the crazy weather this summer a lot of things produced late or not at all. I’d say Miss Chitter has a green thumb!
Congratulations too, to Paula on her win!
We have been picking watermelon regularly ourselves. A cold bowl of melon out of the fridge at night while watching tv has been wonderful.We shall miss them when they are gone!
Congratulations, Chitter! Your green thumb is showing. Keep up the great work; who knows, next year you might have so many you will need to give them away. Happy Watermelon Season to you!
beautimous !! both the watermelon and Chitter.
Years ago I grew one ripe watermelon. Sadly its size was that of an overgrown softball. I didn’t get more than a nibble for my two children, very young then, devoured it. Your daughter loved her melon into growth. Have a great early fall day. And, thanks for providing a bright spot in my mornings.
So is Miss Chitter a watermelon coach? a watermelon trainer? a watermelon mamma? Sure looks like she produced a winner. Looks like her mamma produced a winner too!
I love watermelons so it’s a toss up for me which is prettier, Chitter or the watermelon…..well, not really. Chitter wins hands down. She is a very pretty girl.
That watermelon was juicy and sweet. I wonder what made them grow when they haven’t done well before. I’m sure they require a lot of rain but I wonder what else.
Congratulations to Paula and Chitter!
Looks like a perfect melon to me. One of my favorite fruits. I have also tried to grow them many times, they get as big as an apple then a squirrel comes along and takes out a bite, just 1. Then young children love to pick one to show you what is growing in the garden.