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!

Aphids part Three

They are coming!!! I can not get a handle on these guys. This is my summer squash that has already beat one round with the aphids.  I have left it alone but after dousing the armenian cucumber and the regular cucumber this guy got hit again.  I do not think the tomato spray did much, it just moved the suckers. So I am not going that route again.  This time I have strategically placed some Banana peels under the plant. It has been suggested that the ethylene/ethene gas might ward them off. I do not want to kill  them but I just want them to not kill anything else. If you notice the baby squash plant is growing crooked because of those gross buggies.