Summer into Fall

Yes, it has been a while since I posted. My schedule was really full during August and September. Most of it was fun stuff. Some of it was taking down the garden since those bleeping woodchucks got everything. (I swear I will let this woodchuck thing go eventually…but not today.)

Summer is officially over and we have stepped over the line into autumn. I do want to wrap up one particular loose end from the Food it Yourself garden- those watermelons I was growing. (Here is a link to the variety I planted.)

After letting the soil dry from a week of rain the melons had developed a hollow sound when tapped. They did not twist off the vine easily, which is the other sign of ripeness I was waiting for. I decided waiting longer would put the fruits at risk for rotting as more rain was scheduled.

Given how crummy my harvest was for everything else this year (except sweet corn) this was an exciting harvest. The largest one was a little bigger than a volley ball.

Here’s the inside of one of those globes. I am really excited about how thin the rind is. The flesh was a little brown at the edges, suggesting I may have actually waited too long to harvest.  Also, there are lots of seeds. I knew this variety would be seedier than the “seedless” melons from the mega-mart, but this was an impressive seed load. Again, picking a little earlier might have cut back on the seeds a little.

Most importantly, these watermelons have a great flavor. It was a little watered down from the super damp summer, but the flavor was more complex than those mega-mart melons. I really never thought I could grow watermelon successfully in Central New England, but clearly it is possible. I might try it again, even!

Currently, I am working on getting the Food It Yourself garden ready for the winter. What is going on in your garden? What went well this year? What challenges did you have?  Share in the comments!