Savers: Melon eddition

Not only did I make dinner tonight, I grew our salad.

pretty huh

And in the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit I have already lied. I did not grow the cucumbers, they were a gift from a friends garden.  But everything ELSE was all me.  We have Mint, (yup THIS mint, more on that front in another post)  Basil, Cucumbers, and Melon (don't ask what kind...I REALLY need to invest in some kind of labeling system!).

Along with making a yummy salad I thought I'd show you how to use your delicious melon to extend your garden.  So follow along with another SAVERS: Melon Edition.

Step 1. Start with your melon: 

Step 2. Cut it in half:

Look at all them seeds

Step 3. Start Scoopin'

Really get your hands in there...Gross

Step 4. See all that goop? Rinse it off, and let dry! TADA!!!

oh yea...goop

Step 5. And then I check to see if they are "filled".  I'm not sure if this is totally "scientific" but the way I check the seeds to see if they were from a "mature" plant is crack one in my teeth and see if there is a seed pod inside. Sometimes if you picked to early the seed sheath on the outside is all you have but the inside is empty.

If you look REALLY close you can see the "outside" of the melon seed (testa) and the seed guts (endosperm) on the inside. 

From this whole melon I got a whole handful of seeds.I just saved a few dollars on a new envelope of melon seeds. This handful is only from one melon, another melon in the garden and I will have enough melon seeds to grow a garden of melons!

I thought you were better than this.

Peppermint, an easy to grow, bug resistant, beginner kind of plant. Great to use in cooking, tea, homeopathic treatments and cocktails.  What could go wrong????

THIS GUY

and THIS guy

and THIS guy

This guy is gross, this guy is the SAME FRICKIN COLOR AS THE PLANT.  This guy is tiny, this guy is hungry. and this guy has friends, (at least 5 of them)

All that is left is a few sticks

.Look what he did to a thriving blooming pepermint plant, (in about two days). He ate so much that when my husband pulled him off the plants the caterpillar SMELLED LIKE MINT, ew.  So now I am on caterpillar patrol going out daily to find these guys, and my plants are in dire need of some growth hormones.

almost all gone

 This whole disaster started with just a few small holes, then one day  BAM 90% of the plant was gone.

So what IS this thing and how do i stop it, I can not go out and pick up bugs by hand. (bugs are gross) and my husband is not really that excited to go out and pick them for me. 

Thanks internet!

ew, okay picking it off it is...*gross*. I really do not like using pesticide and am trying to avoid it all costs but it sure gets gross.  I wouldn't mind one little guy if he was only snacking but these guys eat a TON! I can not believe how much mint was gone between the first few bites and then the day of death.