Vegetable Gardening (52 page)

‘Amy':
This AAS-winning hybrid muskmelon is firm and deliciously scented. The vines tolerate poor soils and only grow 6 feet long, maturing 3- to 4-pound fruits with white flesh and canary-colored skin in 70 days.

‘Early Crenshaw':
This hybrid early-maturing crenshaw-type melon produces 14-pound fruits with mild-flavored, peach-colored flesh. It matures in 90 days.

‘Earli-Dew':
This early-maturing hybrid honeydew-type melon has lime green flesh and produces 2- to 4-pound fruits. It matures in 85 days.

‘Hale's Best':
This popular heirloom muskmelon features 3- to 4-pound fruits with succulent, deep salmon-colored flesh in 80 days.

‘Lambkin':
This hybrid AAS-winning Piel de Sapo or Christmas melon hails from Spain. This variety features 2- to 4-pound fruits with beautiful mottled green- and gold-colored skin and honey-sweet white flesh. It matures quickly in 70 days.

‘Passport':
This hybrid Galia-type, 5- to 6-pound melon has light green flesh. It has good disease resistance, is widely adapted, and matures in 73 days.

‘Savor':
This hybrid Charentais-type melon features 2-pound fruits with sweet, orange flesh. This great, small melon matures in 78 days.

‘Sugar Nut':
This hybrid Canary-type melon produces 2-pound fruits with sweet, white flesh. Because of their diminutive size, they're perfect for snacking. This variety matures in 77 days.

Watermelons

The following are popular watermelon varieties:

‘Crimson Sweet':
This oval-shaped, open-pollinated watermelon variety produces sweet, red-fleshed, 25-pound fruits and has good disease resistance. It matures in 90 days.

‘Moon and Stars':
This heirloom oblong-shaped watermelon features 25-pound fruits with dark green skin with yellow "moon and stars" markings (squint and you can see them — or what passes for them) and has very sweet, pink flesh. The variety matures in 95 days.

‘Orange Sunshine':
This very sweet, oval, seedless, orange-fleshed variety produces 10- to 15-pound fruits in 85 days.

‘Sugar Baby':
This round, compact, open-pollinated watermelon variety produces icebox-size (8- to 10-pound), red-fleshed fruits with a mottled green skin in 85 days. Youngins love this sweet, kid-sized fruit.