Melons provide a sweet and colorful addition to summer meals, and they can be grown in the home garden. In addition to the typical cantaloupe and honeydew melons, gardeners can grow other varieties such as banana melons.

Before Planting: A light, well-drained soil with a pH of 7.0 and a southern exposure is ideal. Good soil moisture is important in early stages of growth and during pollination when fruits are setting.

Planting: For direct seeding, sow 1-2 weeks after last frost when soil is warm, above 70°F, 3 seeds every 18″, 1/2″ deep, thinning to 1 plant/spot. Space rows 6′ apart. For transplanting, sow indoors in 3 weeks before last frost and transplanting outside. Plant 2-3 seeds per or pot, about 1/4″ deep. Keep temperature 80-90°F until germination. Handle young plants carefully and never let the soil dry out. Grow seedlings at 75°F. Reduce water and temperature for a week to harden seedlings. When the weather is frost-free, warm, and settled, transplant 2-3′ apart in rows 6′ apart or thin to 1 plant/pot or cell with scissors and transplant 18″ apart. Even hardened melon seedlings are tender. Do not disturb roots when transplanting, and water thoroughly.

Watering: Melons need a steady supply of water, and soil needs to be damped but not flooded, approximately 1 inch a week.

Fertilizer: Prior to planting, mix aged manure and compost into the soil. Melons are heavy feeders, so fertilize at planting and throughout the growing season with a 5-5-5 or 10-10-10 granular fertilizer. Do not let the granules come in contact with the plant.

Days to Maturity: A ripe melon should be very easy to remove from the vine. For a cantaloupe, the netting pattern on the melon becomes more visible and a crack appears at the base of the stem when it was ripe. For a honeydew, the color becomes creamy. Most melon varieties are ready for harvest when the gray-green color begins to change to pale yellow and when a light tug separates the fruit from the vine. Some melon types, like honeydew, Charentais, canary, Spanish, and Crenshaw are overripe by the time the stem can be tugged from the fruit.

Harvesting: Melons must be cut from the vine.  All melons should be stored at 90% relative humidity. Store ripe melons at 40-45°F for 7-14 days.

Tips: Cut off watering 1 week before harvest. This will give a more flavorful, concentrated melon. Over watering before harvest can cause bland taste.

AVG. Direct Seeding Rate: 30 seeds/10′, 100 seeds/50′ 1M/500′, 15M/acre at 3 seeds every 18″ in rows 6′ apart.

Well, of course it's a field of cosmos and zinnias! These annual wildflowers will surprise you with bright reds, pinks and oranges that bloom for several months. Your home will never look the same once you place a few vases of Cosmic Zen throughout the rooms. We call them "happy" flowers for a good reason. They're cheery, tall, vibrant and sure to please.

Germination: Sunflowers will take 5-14 days at 70-75°F.

Direct Sowing: Direct sowing is highly recommended. After the last frost, sow in groups of 2-3 seeds, 1/2″ deep. Thin to one plant when true leaves appear.

Transplant: If you prefer to sow indoors use a peat moss pot that can be planted directly into the ground. Sow no sooner than 3-4 weeks prior to planting out. Sunflowers dislike root disturbance and do not transplant well.

Location: Plant in a location that receives full sun and good air circulation. Soil should drain well and well balanced nutrients.

Plant Spacing: Single-stem varieties space 4-6″ apart. Branching varieties space 18-24″ apart.

Hardiness Zones: Sunflowers are annuals and can be planted in any hardiness zone.

Cut Flowers: Flowers can be harvested tight when color first begins to show, or when the flowers are just beginning to open, depending on your market