As our growing season winds down, I am still evaluating the performances of this year’s ornamentals and vegetables. Here are two more results from my garden.
Asters:
This is small - just a 6-inch pot
I had some single aster seeds hanging around and tossed them into a little pot. I was so cavalier about it that I didn’t even save the seed packet, so I cannot tell you which cultivar I planted. I watered them along with all my other “deck plants” throughout the hot, dry summer, but all I could see were small green stems and a few leaves. Then, in September, one flower opened, followed by more. This is the final result, which I think is very pretty and sweet. I have the pot on the coffee table in our living room where the flowers have been blooming for weeks! Too bad I don’t have that darn seed packet! I would love to repeat these next year.
Melons:
Crop failure
This was an experiment for me. I have never grown melons before, but I bought seeds of cultivars that are supposed to do well in short growing seasons – “Collective Farm Woman” from Russia and “Oka” from Montreal, Canada. I watered them dutifully, (without getting the leaves wet) and we sure had plenty of sun and heat, so I don’t know what went wrong. The leaves are mostly brown and shriveled, and I have a measly 2 little golf ball sized fruits. Pathetic. I will not try this again.
Digging RI 
too bad about the melons. I had about 4 – two did well (relatively speaking that is – I’m a crappy melon grower), two did not.
Cute aster!
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Oh, but of the 4 plants, I got one cantaloupe and one watermelon SOOOOO fabulous, that I think I will try again next year. You should too. Just let the long cold RI winter lull you into forgetting what happened this year.
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Well, that’s better than I did. The thing is, I cannot figure out what I did wrong, and we had such a perfect melon growing summer that I can’t blame the weather. I guess I don’t have to decide now, do I?
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Loved those asters! It looked like it might have been a mix; are they truly pinks and purples?
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They are a mix – of pink purple and blue, but they are diminuitive – 6 inches max. However, they are so charming that I get a little zing every time I look at them.
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Yes, they are truly pinks and purples, albeit pale. They have been blooming for nearly a MONTH now! The entire thing, pot and all, is very small. I love looking at it in my living room. It’s kind of a last taste of summer.
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My great grandfather had a farm in NDG, between Oxford and Old Orchard, from the Lachine Canal to Monkland and grew and sold the famous Montreal Melons. My father claims that their sucess was due to the horses around the farm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_melon
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Well, I have yet to taste one – or grow one for that matter. They’re supposed to be amazing.
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