During my first year in Austin, I wanted to take a deep breath, navel gaze a little less, and adjust. This is why you haven't heard much from me in this space. I was a little surprised to realize that my first year is nearly up--it will be time soon for setting goals and making plans.
Until then, here are some pictures from the cantaloupe vine I've been growing in my backyard. This is the Super 45 Cantaloupe hybrid from Bonnie Plants. I transplanted the seedling in May. The first male flower appeared 14 weeks ago, the vine set its first fruit 5 weeks ago and the melon ripened last Friday. It's been a long wait!
This variety is resistant to powdery mildew and doesn't seem to mind the hot Texas summer. It has greedily taken over three separate trellises. All that space for just one melon! While plenty of other fruits have attempted to set over the past month or so, none have progressed (one theory: I don't have many pollinators visiting my backyard). Now that this first melon is off the vine it will be interesting to see whether another takes its place.
