Gardening is such an "iffy" avocation. Multiply the problems and uncertainty of success, and you have the life of a farmer - the life that my parents lived for so many years. Did we plant at the right time? Did we have the correct fertilization, watering, weeding, etc. regime? The farmer is the supreme gambler. Gardening is farming on a smaller scale. Who knows when the last frost of spring will come? Or when the first frost of fall descends? We lived through a dark, dismal, cold June this year, so most plants were unhappy, and growth was slow. It frosted around the 9th of June, nipping many of the plants and retarding their growth. After that frost, I planted three more watermelon plants and hoped. In the past, we have planted Sugar Babies, which grow to the size of a soccer ball, and usually sweet and delicious; perhaps each plant giving us three melons. This spring's plants were the real thing, though, and promised to produce larger melons. Ron took over the chore of mulching, watering, and fertilizing these plants which grew and grew and grew. We looked in vain for melons under the lush foliage, and then one day, Ron came in so excited because he counted 15 melons - and they were growing. As I commented before, all seven neighborhood kids (6 boys and 1 girl, ranging in age from 3 to 7), who consider Ron their close friend, kept watch with him, and were appropriately impressed with his watermelon growing skills. Each child had his watermelon picked out. The first one was picked too soon, and wasn't ripe enough, but then things got better. The last one left with the 4-year-old neighbor boy bringing his own wheelbarrow to get his melon (sorry I missed that picture). Now, there are five left in the garden, and Ron has gifted most of the neighbors. No frost yet! We lucked out, and experienced a gardening triumph. Thank you!
Gardening is such an "iffy" avocation. Multiply the problems and uncertainty of success, and you have the life of a farmer - the life that my parents lived for so many years. Did we plant at the right time? Did we have the correct fertilization, watering, weeding, etc. regime? The farmer is the supreme gambler. Gardening is farming on a smaller scale. Who knows when the last frost of spring will come? Or when the first frost of fall descends? We lived through a dark, dismal, cold June this year, so most plants were unhappy, and growth was slow. It frosted around the 9th of June, nipping many of the plants and retarding their growth. After that frost, I planted three more watermelon plants and hoped. In the past, we have planted Sugar Babies, which grow to the size of a soccer ball, and usually sweet and delicious; perhaps each plant giving us three melons. This spring's plants were the real thing, though, and promised to produce larger melons. Ron took over the chore of mulching, watering, and fertilizing these plants which grew and grew and grew. We looked in vain for melons under the lush foliage, and then one day, Ron came in so excited because he counted 15 melons - and they were growing. As I commented before, all seven neighborhood kids (6 boys and 1 girl, ranging in age from 3 to 7), who consider Ron their close friend, kept watch with him, and were appropriately impressed with his watermelon growing skills. Each child had his watermelon picked out. The first one was picked too soon, and wasn't ripe enough, but then things got better. The last one left with the 4-year-old neighbor boy bringing his own wheelbarrow to get his melon (sorry I missed that picture). Now, there are five left in the garden, and Ron has gifted most of the neighbors. No frost yet! We lucked out, and experienced a gardening triumph. Thank you!
4 comments:
What fun! And I bet it tasted wonderful.
that looks delicious!
I don't know how you did it. This years growing season was definitely against any melon making it to maturity. I think Ron must have had a heater or two going on the sly. You make good farmers!
Very impressive!!!
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