cantaloup

A friend gave me a couple of cantaloup seedlings which came through her compost.  I chose the warmest spot, north facing, to place the pot they were planted in.  I planted them in premium potting mix, never mind the cost.  In February two melons were looking healthy and I waited for them to grow bigger and ripen.

A couple of days ago I picked the cantaloups as the vine had died.  Here they are, slightly larger than the large apple.  They smelled sweet and tasted like a sun ripened fruit should.

Dahlias

The dahlias were at their best a couple of months ago but the bushes are still flowering.  I have to remember to deadhead the flowers once they are wilted and in the heat they do not last long.

In this flower bed of azaleas are two varieties of dwarf dahlias.  They were planted by the previous owner of the garden and they keep coming back each summer.  I have not done a thing to them in the almost nine years I have taken over the garden, except dig in fertilisers in spring and autumn.

A close up of the Burgundy dahlia.

A pretty variegated form, in cream and pink.

A tall bushy variety, brought over from my old garden.