A Short Season for the Dark Armenian Cucumber

Many years farmers and gardeners try to push their growing season as far into the unseasonable conditions as possible. While I don’t fully understand the psychology behind this absurd practice, a lack of understanding does not exclude me from fully participating in it each year – even when I know better. Despite the fact that I have never been able to make it through a September in Fairfield without Powdery Mildew or another factor related with the shorter days and cooler nights, I continue to unreasonably hope that somehow this year will be different.

 

 

 

 

This year my hope-beyond-hope unseasonable variety was the Dark Snake Melon, Dark Armenian or Tortarello Barese. I knew that I had little chance of getting this late-maturing variety grown to maturity in the time that I had, but yet I persevered. Alas, it was a fools errand. I was unable to attend to the garden as often as I needed to and the familiar white spore soon enveloped the leaves and spread across the entire bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The one consolation I have to my inability to learn from my yearly experience, I am never one to pass up the consolatory prize. If I am unable to grow the fruit to seed, I am at least able to enjoy the immature fruit. Perhaps a positive consequence to unwise behavior is why I have never learned my lesson. Oh well. If this is the worst mistake I make, at least I can say that the result was tasty.