It's a Watermelon !

Here's our baby with the leaves shriveled, but the stem is still green. We are waiting and watching like expectant parents. Finally the stem browned so we picked it. This watermelon was ready for harvest and just in time for Amy's Labor day visit. At 8 pounds 8 ounces, and 12 inches, our baby didn't quite come up to the seed catalog promises of 24 inches and 30 to 35 pounds. But this is upstate New York not Georgia or South Carolina, so we are delighted with our success.

With red juicy flesh and lots of real seeds, it sure looks like watermelon. I chopped up the flesh, removed the seeds, and added chopped lemon verbena. I have to say it was a heavenly treat.

I wanted seeds and I got them. By my count I have over 300 watermelon seeds. They are spread out and drying on paper towels. I guess I won't be planting all of those, but the watermelons will definitely be back next year!

Greetings from Upstate New York!

Yes indeed, you are looking at a watermelon, and this is not a picture post card from Georgia. It's a Charlston Grey right here in upstate New York. According to the Shumway seed catalog, these melons grow to a whopping 24 inches long, 30 to 35 pounds. The truth is we are getting pretty excited about this baby!

Some gardeners plant the things they know will do well. We do that, but we are a pair of gardeners with a touch of Chuck Yeager in us. Every year with something, we have to push that envelope. This year it's a big fat watermelon with real seeds, not a seedless melon with those little white things that they say you can eat. (Who wants to?)

We have time to wait and watch. It's just the beginning of August and anything could happen, but right now there it is, a real, almost foot long, watermelon.