It’s finally the growing month I’ve been waiting for (June is always the month I’m waiting for); my watermelon seedlings have made their appearance! This year I decided that I would only have room for two melon varieties, so I chose a couple of heirlooms. Heirlooms always call to me because not only are they rich nutrition and full of flavor, but they often come with a delightful heritage.

‘Moon and Stars’ Watermelon

The Amish ‘Moon and Stars’ watermelon is just such a variety. Not only does the large melon have super-sweet flesh, but it’s also quite a looker if you ask me. The skin of Moon and Stars is a dark green with flecks of yellow sprinkled all over the rind. Even the leaves have the signature speckles. These are the “stars” on the melon. Among the stars, is a silver dollar-sized, full, yellow “moon”. The flesh can be pinkish-red, yellow, or red (depending on the variety) and very sweet. It’s also a great size for summer picnicking – these bad boys can grow to over 40 pounds!

Although Moon and Stars was often seen in seed catalogs in the 1920’s, apparently while everyone’s head was turned, this wonderful variety eventually disappeared. In the mid-1970s, Kent Whealy of the Seeds Saver’s Exchange went looking for the watermelon that had been around since before 1900. While Kent was on a TV show in 1980, he mentioned the fact that he was searching for this heirloom melon. Smart man.

Yeah for Seed Savers!

A farmer that lived near Macon, Missouri, Merle van Doren, saw the show and gave Kent a call. He told Kent that he was, indeed, still growing the elusive variety to that day. Mr. Van Doren gave Kent Whealy some seeds from his melons and a picture was taken of Kent standing in front of the beautiful fruit. This was to be the picture featured in Mother Earth News in January of 1982 and the rush was on – everyone had to have this melon in their own garden.

You may come across Moon and Stars under other names such as Pink Flesh Amish Moon and Stars, Van Doren’s Moon and Stars, Cherokee Moon and Stars, Long Milky Way Moon and Stars, and Yellow Flesh Moon and Stars. Just to add to the confusion, some of these are have a variation of the name because they are a different variety of the original, and some offer no difference at all. Just go with it – it’s all part of the heirloom fun.

‘Golden Midget’ Watermelon

Admittedly, Golden Midget’s humble beginnings don’t compare to Moon and Star’s claim to fame. But they’re just as lovely and delicious. This fancy little melon was bred by Elwyn Meader and Albert Yeager by originally crossing ‘Pumpkin Rind’ and ‘New Hampshire Midget’. They introduced Golden Midget in 1959. This is a gorgeous, 3 pound melon that’s ready to harvest in a short 70 days. It’s so early maturing that Golden Midget is one melon that’s an excellent candidate for succession planting.

The skin is a warm, golden-yellow color when it’s fully ripe. The salmon-pink flesh makes an amazing storybook contrast to the rind. Golden Midget has a refreshingly sweet flavor. By the way, because it has short, compact vines, it’s the perfect variety for a patio garden and my suburban farm.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Plant Covers Freeze Protection 10 ft x 30 ft Floating Row Cover 0.9oz/yd²

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Lightweight and Breathable MATERIAL Good for protecting Plant: the plant frost cover material is 0.74 oz/sq non-woven polypropylene fabric, which is lightweight, breathable, and durable. The plant blanket frost protection allows sunlight reach the plants, perfect for protecting plants from the damage of freeze or frost. Wide Application In your Garden Work. The plant row cover not only can work as a barrier against frost, but also can be a great tool for germination and good for rapid seedling growth. By using the fabric plant covers over your plant, you can start the plant earlier in the spring and extending the growing season of your plants. How to Use the Plant Covers: you can cover the plant covers for freeze over your the plants loosely directly and then secure the plant frost blanket with soil, stones or staples. You can also support the floating row covers with a hoop, make enough room for plants to breath and grow. You could also cut the plant covers into different sizes for different purposes.

Buy at Amazon

A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

MULTITASKING DUAL EDGES: a deep serrated edge and a tapered slicing edge ideal for tough or delicate cuts. DURABLE 6-inch stainless steel blade withstands 300 lbs of pressure. TWINE CUTTING NOTCH, DEPTH GAUGE MARKINGS & spear point - no need to switch tools when using this garden knife. LEATHER SHEATH: heavy duty, protective, clip on sheath to keep your knife convenient and secure. LIFETIME WARRANTY.

Buy at Amazon

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.

Buy at Amazon