For several years now, I’ve tried to grow cantaloupes in my garden.   Mostly because my girls love them.   And so do I.  But I always seem to have disappointing results.

This year I was very excited because I found a heirloom variety called Minnesota Midgets that seemed to fit my needs for growing.  Short growing season, plant from seed, and lots of little personal sized melons!  Perfect!

Well, this wonky weather has done a number on a lot of my garden, first raining BUCKETS for days on end and then dry dry dry.  But without any heat!

Still, the melon plants were hanging in there and we were watching several of the little darlings as they started to ripen.

And of course, we missed the perfect time because a couple of roosters found them and picked them CLEAN!  Just the paper thin rind was left.  Darn roosters…  (Note to self… make better fence around garden to keep roosters OUT….)

But there was one left, and we were so excited.  It was hidden from the birds view, in the leafy vines.

Took that baby in the house and carefully split it, pretty nice color…  but… hmmm… no aroma.  I cleaned it out and cut it up for each of us to try.

Bland.  Mushy and tasteless really.

I don’t think they were overripe, because even overripe, they should have had some flavor to them or at least some aroma… but nope, just blah.  So disappointing.

Maybe it’s our soil, maybe it’s our weather, who knows?  I’m just sad that one more year has passed and we have no cantaloupes from our garden.   Does anyone have any good suggestions?  Seems like most the canteloupes anymore are rather bland and tasteless, even from the store.  I remember them being so much more sweet and flavorful…    Perhaps that is just the memories of a kid, but lately, they just don’t seem worth the money to even try.   So sad!!!!