ORGANIC GROW
organicgardener.com.au^33
T
he world of heirloom plants is wondrous. To grow
something that originated decades, even centuries
ago in some far-flung corner of the world, has
to rank as one of the most interesting and rewarding
experiences in a gardener’s life. But not all heirlooms are
created equal. Though all are deserving of conservation,
some are fairly run-of-the-mill and some have only
a limited range of cultivars.
This certainly can’t be said of melons. Despite
only a few varieties being found on grocery shelves,
dozens of cultivars are available in Australia – and
they are among the most interesting heirlooms going.
Big, bold and popular watermelons may rule summer
in Australia, but the refined and varied collection
of honeydew, rockmelon and cantaloupe provides
a wonderland of colours, textures and flavours. All
of these belong to a single species, Cucumis melo,
and many are considered delicacies, prized by
communities in various parts of the world.
France, Spain, India, China and the central Asian
republics are all diversity hot spots, where these melons
are treasured. Now it is time to showcase them to
Australian growers and foodies.International stars
With their origins in Africa, melons were domesticated
thousands of years ago and were gradually distributed
to Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Historians believe
that initially, melons were picked when immature and
eaten like cucumbers, only being grown out to maturity
and picked when ripe during the Middle Ages. It was
during this period that melon enthusiasm really took
off, with cottage farmers developing a myriad of
cultivars, each with a distinctive personality.
Heirloom plant enthusiast Amy Goldman profiles
more than 70 different varieties in her book Melons for
the Passionate Grower, including amazing old-time plants
with names as colourful as the fruit itself: ‘Queen Anne’s
Pocket Melon’, ‘Giant Chrysanthemum’, ‘Collective
Farm Woman’ and ‘Nectar’, to name a few. She has just
released a new, expanded book simply called The Melon.
We feature a couple of her plant profiles on page 38.
What each of these diverse cultivars has in
common, is a love for hot summer weather. This isn’t
just desirable, but essential for the fruit to ripen properly.
There are smaller, faster growers that can be harvested
in as little as 75 days from sowing, making melonMelons
A medley of
Justin Russell welcomes you to the wonderful world of Cucumis melo:
from honeydew to rockmelon, they are filled with flavour and juiciness,
perfect to savour during a hot summer.PHOTO: GAP PHOTOS