Our first watermelon!

Last year, we tried growing watermelon and cantaloupe for the first time but didn't have much success.  We decided to plant a few this year in the open garden, but nothing ever came up.  Fortunately, Sam's Club has had delicious cantaloupe lately.

We were out picking tomatoes (again) about a week ago when Mat decided to wander down to the last raised bed where we have our asparagus planted and see how it was looking.  Imagine his delight when he saw this growing among the asparagus...

A volunteer watermelon!  We planted our new asparagus bed in the raised bed where we had melons last year, and a plant came up on its own.  Mat has been watching it carefully so he could pick it when its ripe but before a raccoon gets it.  Last Saturday was his lucky day...

Can you tell he was just a little excited?  Not only was it huge, but it was sweet and delicious too!  It was also ripe just in time for Madeline's party Saturday night, so we served it with dinner.  Of course, as he was cutting it up, I found him picking out the seeds.  This was partially to be nice to our guests but primarily so that he could dry them out and freeze them to plant next year.  What a nerd, but that's my husband :)