I'm looking to grow types melons in my backyard, and I've gotten Amy Goldman's book on melons as well as looked at lot's of online sites. We've ordered from Baker Creek this year and I had great success with Banana Melons which I want to grow again. We unfortunately crowded our garden too much so the melons didn't fare as well as I would have hoped. We tried Charentais, Hale's Best, Banana Melon, and some Black Diamond watermelons. Because of overcrowding we lost all the fruit that formed except for the banana melons, which were productive and delicious. We're creating a new area specifically for melons and vines, so hopefully we won't have the problems we had before and the vines can spread out as much as they want.

I've been wondering what melons other people have had good success with here in the Mid-Atlantic? I keep looking at the catalouges and I just can't decide as all seem delicious and beautiful but I want to find the right ones so I don't run into problems or turn it into a Questing Beast situation, wanting to grow something that just doesn't like my climate. Rich Sweetness 132 from Baker Creek seems like an interesting melon, though looking at the pictures of them they look exactly what I got from ebay as Plum Grannies, which while fragrant, you cannot eat them.

Choctaw Sweet Potato has been looking rather interesting to me for pumpkins/winter squash though.

Please if anybody has had rave reviews for a certain variety here in the Mid-Atlantic, please let me know, I want to know what have done well for people in my area.

Thanks!

Max