I'll be keeping an eye on your thread for ideas of what kind of melons to grow next year. This year I'm growing Cream of Saskatchewan and Golden Midget. Since this is my first year, I can't really offer any suggestions. So far, I don't have a very productive crop of melons, but this could be my fault. I have a couple on each variety that are growing right now, but we haven't harvested any yet.

Burpee's Early Crenshaw hybrid is my favorite melon of all! Once I have enough of it, I'll branch out and try some others. This year I decided to finish planting my Ambrosia seeds and finished the patch with the Crenshaws.

I'm also growing a yellow watermelon and OrangeGlo.

And a Tahitian squash, seeds given to me by Gonefishin'. He said they were sweet enough in the fall to make pies with! Wish I could tell him how they're growing.

Of course Lily and Burpee Crenshaw are fabulous.
Orangeglo is a strong growing watermelon with potential size.
Ali Baba had little flavor and little sweetness for me the year I tried it.
St. Nick is an early hybrid of Piel de Sapo and is very easy to raise.
Sugar Queen is a superb cantaloupe with crenshaw like flavor.

I don't know about high temps as that is not a problem here.

I want to do Piel de Sapo next year for my son. It's his favorite melon.

I've had some bad luck in the past with melons, they often are not sweet, almost cucumber tasting.

Any advice?

St. Nick is an early piel type and is extremely sweet and more likely to succeed up north.
For sweet full flavored melons, raise sweeter varieties and use the heat helps like higher hills and perhaps plastic mulch.

Curcurbits are by far the most frustrating garden crop, but potentually the most rewarding when successful.

I'd recommend Blacktail Mountain. They are "famous" for their short growing time. I've already had 2 this year and I haven't even had a "real" tomato yet! Seriously, my only tomatoes are small, golf ball sized early season varities but I've already had 2 watermelons!

Another favorite of mine is Collective Farm Woman. It's a beautiful looking melon and fantasitc tasting....whitish fleash, unique flavor. I love it!

Bart, I'll be picking my 1st BTM tommorow and I've had no ripe tomatoes yet accept for a few cherries. My melons are growing on reinforced concrete fencing. It's amazing how little space they take and they're so sweet.
I live over the river from NOVA near Harper's Ferry.

May was so darned cold everything got planted late.