Mmm! Mmmm! I now remember why I like growing melons.
I was away when many were ripe but I’ve just cut a watermelon and heard that beautiful cracking sound a fresh, perfectly ripe melon makes when the knife is inserted and ohhh the sweet, cool, juicy taste!
It is absolutely perfect on this hot Saturday.
I hope I am making you all drool and determined to have a go at growing watermelons and rock melons next year.
In times past I have helped grow large areas of melons as fundraisers for various worthy causes and have always assumed you needed a large garden to be successful.
This year I only had two plants each of rockmelons and watermelons and have had more than I could use.
Other vegies I have been enjoying from a very small area are fresh cucumbers, enough to make a batch of cucumber and pineapple relish, black Russian and yellow tomatoes and early in the season, beefsteak tomatoes.
Something I find interesting is that the bugs have not attacked the black and yellow tomatoes but have decimated both varieties of red tomatoes I tried.
Also I’ve had two varieties of beans, rainbow chard, carrots, beetroot and potatoes.
My very favourite bean variety is the Purple king climber because of its flavour, productivity and because it is a climber so takes less space in a small area.
I also have a confession. Next year my garden is going to be much larger and I am not going away for an extended period in January!
As the season and extreme weather cause things to come to an early end it is time to start and think about the cool weather plantings and having winter vegies and flowers.
It is time to revitalise beds with added compost and fertilisers and get them dug up and rested ready for planting cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages, broad beans, peas, onions and turnips.
The wide variety of colours available in cauliflowers these days intrigue me and I will definitely try some this year.
Another different plant I will grow this year is the purple snow pea as well as the regular green one.
I first saw them in a garden during the Carnival of Flowers in Toowoomba last year.
In the flower garden I am getting ready to plant sweet peas on St Patrick’s Day as an old friend instilled in me.
Maybe in this area, depending on the weather, I will need to leave it a little longer but old habits die hard and I am manuring and digging the area I want to plant.
I think one of the many delights of spring is the perfume of sweet peas and I intend to grow the bijou variety so it can cascade over the retaining wall and provide some early colour.
I am also going to plant some of the tall varieties in my vegie garden where I have an area they can climb as I love nothing more than the perfume of old fashioned sweet peas in a vase in the house. Truly delightful!
I was asked once what flowers were the best to buy as a bouquet.
I have contemplated this of late with all the advertisements for Valentine’s Day and red roses.
I personally don’t like roses that don’t have a perfume and unfortunately most florist roses are devoid of perfume these days so they are out for me.
I think lilies are good as they last well and look spectacular. Sweet peas and freesias in spring, if they have perfume, are also really good choices.
Carnations are another great choice as they last really well, come in a great range of colours and are also perfumed.
Another flower that will be about before long ready for Mother’s Day is the chrysanthemum in all its many forms, sizes and colours.
It really disappoints me that perfume has been bred out of so many flowers in the quest for bigger, better blooms and colours.
My absolute, all time, favourite is, of course, a bunch of native blooms. Hardy, long lasting and different, they are ideal.
My pet hate, however, is the artificially coloured banksias so often seen in these bunches.
I see no reason for doing this when these spectacular blooms come naturally in such an array of beautiful colours.
However, gentlemen, it is purely a matter of personal preference and I am sure whoever you are buying for, will be delighted with whatever you take home!
The Warwick Horticultural Society is holding its AGM in the CWA rooms in Grafton Street on Wednesday 22 February at 8.30pm with a cuppa to follow.
The guest speaker on the night will be Colin Purnell from Earth Life garden products whose company has been a very welcome sponsor of the Spring Garden Competition.
If you are interested in joining our society and making new friends, come along, you will be most welcome.
Don’t forget the autumn flower show in St Mary’s Hall on 8 and 9 March.
