Mamato:

Please do not try to raise chance seedlings of vine crops. They cross-pollinate, and more often than not you will get something that is not at all desirable, like a big fat cucumber. They will, however, grow very large and vigorous vines, quickly spilling out of your 2-foot wide bed. And there go the flowers you were going to plant there, since the bed and part of the lawn will be covered with vines.

In any case, it is too early to be setting out vine crop seedlings, even in SE Virginia. They might barely survive, but will not grow well until the soil temperatures have warmed up to about 60 degrees. Frost date is not the controlling factor here -- it is soil temperature.

Seeds are cheap, especially when you factor in the time and effort required to raise any plant. If you want to grow cantaloupes or other vine crops in your little bed, buy a packet of good fresh seeds at you local Lowes or Home Depot. Then plant them at the end of April. If your bed has full sun, they should do well for you, but be prepared for some pretty large vines of any of these kinds of crops. Your little petunias and pansies will be choked silly.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

The cantelope seed came from a single cantelope that I put into compost, so it's not exactly a mixed species. (i have an indoor worm bin, so there's no "stray" things that go in there) I don't actually have anything in my flower beds yet, so it's not particularly an issue. I moved into the house only 2 months ago, and all the beds need re-planting. I was intending to plant small vegetables there, perhaps some lettuce and radishes.

I've read of people training cantelopes on trellises, but not sure of the practicality.

Apparently cantelope is a summer fruit though, so I guess my little seedlings will go back into the worm bin to compost themselvves.