I've been waiting patiently for a ripened Charentais melon and the day has finally arrived. As stated previously, I watch closely how the seed catalogs describe their melons. I pay attention to their use of words like sugar content, sweetness, aromatic, flavor and texture. The length of time to maturity is important too.Then I base my decisions on how accurately those words fit the actual fruit. In this case I must give them a letter grade of "A" for their descriptive accuracy.

I picked my first melon this morning based on the number of days to maturity (90). I observed the skin's color of a light golden greenish cream. Then there is the smell "test" of sweet aroma. So far so good, but I needed to taste test. Having washed the melon and dried it with paper towels, I sliced into sections where more aroma was hiding. The final test was over the top when I tasted the sweet, honey-like flavor and smooth texture from the sliced pieces. Slices and cubes are now chilling in the fridge for snacks tonight. Photos are being posted in the database for interested gardeners and others.

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I enjoy trying new plants in the gardens. As a long time fan of cantaloupes I have tried three "new" cultivars this year. They are new to me since I had not known about them previously. Having researched them I decided to try (Cucumis melo 'Charentais') this year. It is an heirloom originating in France in the 1920's and is considered one of the best melons "ever developed" because of its high sugar content and because it is highly aromatic when ripe. (These qualities are reported by the seed companies.) My plants are at the sixty day growth point since planting; and are filled with immature fruits and blooms. Many fruits are now 6 to 7 inches in diameter with lots of new blooms setting on. From my observations this looks like a very promising addition to the gardens. (Photos are in the data base.)

I plan to post another comment as the fruits ripen. I also plan to post photos. One thing I cannot post is the taste and aroma; but I can describe them when the time comes. There is nothing better than a dish of chilled cantaloupe chunks (with or without vanilla ice cream). Stay tuned for an upcoming final report.

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