I grew those melons last year,they arent very good for eating but great time a day you can smell them from 30 yards away,they smell wonderful...especially when you pick them and sit them on the kitchen counter,the entire house smells fantastic..Sorry to hear about the birds...

I heard they weren't great for eating and wonderfully fragrant. That is so cool that someone else has grown them and can confirm how fragrant they are. Now I am excited even more!!

Oddly enough something told me not to sow all of my seeds that I had, so I will sow another container of what is left. 2 seeds were left untouched, I do not know if that means they aren't viable or something scared the bird before they could eat those 2 also. I am going to cross my fingers and if I get one plant to grow I will feel satisfied.

On a good note that is kinda shocking the dern bird didn't touch my sugar snap peas I sowed the same day. I have one that has germinated.

Birds, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, deer... this has been quite a year... add the crazy weather. I'm afraid to direct sow anything this year.

Carolyn,

an old piece of screen over the top of the container will do the trick! I do this when it's too warm for tops on and it works great, keeps the critters out but lets water,air and sun in!

Lisa

Lisa great idea!! Those birds have returned and have now eaten the last 2, lol. Dern birds!!

I've been using old window screens over my flipped-open milk jugs too, and they've been great! They keep my ducks from grazing on the sprouts and filter the direct sunlight a little bit too. If it's going to frost and I flip the lids back down, I put the screens back on top and they weight them down so they don't pop open again.

Wow! The birds? I finally got the squirrels and cats in-check. Queen Anne's Melon. Sounds good!

stupid birds! i am at war with my ducks right now. they knocked over containers and ate the sprouts and they keep running through my bulb bed! grrrrr. anyone know if an asiaticlily will recover this year if the sprouting stem has been broken off? stupid dogs too!

Rose - Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but my neighbor trampled two of my asiatic lilies just as they were coming in bud, and they didn't come back until the next year, and they have been weevely ever since. Lilies don't like interference of any kind. Sorry.
I use old window screens too, keeps the birds away from the tiny seeds that don't get covered with soil.
Carolyn - I've been battling starlings at my bird feeders all winter. So far, they haven't bothered my containers. BTW, I use a MUCH stronger word than dern"!
Shirley!