Just thought I'd post a quick follow-up. I actually got some ripe melons this year. Most of them were tiny though. Maybe i planted too many close together. Oh, well. It was still fun. It's been hard to identify which ones did the best, since i planted them all landrace style (And hoping for some to cross). Anyway, the best red variety goes to Blacktail Mountian by far. I had a few other reds, but i don't know what varieties. Some of the reds seemed like they were struggling to ripen though too. Whats surprising is that i got quite a few yellow ones. And i'm not sure if it was my imagination or not, but the yellow ones seem to be able to ripen much easier than the reds. Plus they tasted better. I had three different yellow varieties (because they all had different sized and colored seeds). Yellow-Doll is a strong possibility. Hopi Yellow is another. Tohono O'odham Yellow Meated? Desert King? (i dont think i saw any Desert King based on pictures of the rind, but who knows) Maybe even Orangelo, but i only saw yellow, not orange. The worst melon was "Malali" (or possibly "Osh Kirgizia", but i think it was "Malali". It was a splitter! Not only that, but they kept splitting way before they were ripe! It had very distinctive pattern on rind. Very round. Will not grow this type again. Still if i had to recommend two varieties for Northern or Colorado gardens, they would be Blacktail Mountain and Yellow Doll. (i still suspect the yellows ripen better).

Dana- When my parents first moved into their new home, Dad mowed over the cannas without knowing what they were, and they kept coming back. Finally, he got smart and decided to see what he was mowing, and was rewarded with cannas. Don't worry. It is hard to kill cannas. Now, he can't find people to give the tubers to when he needs to thin out, and he roto-tills the soil, and enough survive to re-populate over the next couple of years. Enjoy!~ Amy

Nice list, Bear. Always good to hear other growers' experiences, especially those who are in less than ideal climates. I'm in my first year growing figs, so my collection is small. I've tried to concentrate on varieties that will produce well in containers here in my zone 5 Maine location. Maybe in a couple years I'll try a few in-ground. MBVS- Started these this year from cuttings, now 3' tall. Brown Turkey- Probably graft these over to something earlier. LSU Purple- too good a price to pass up at the Whole Foods. Celeste-small 1st year plant Salem Dark- same Now starting some cuttings to have a bit of greenery indoors through our long winter months. Desert King, Hardy Chicago, Petite Negri, Genovese Nero, Nero 600, Magnolia, LSU gold, Galbun, Celeste. No figs yet, but I got the bug! I'm open to recommendations for 'must haves' suitable for my location.

Everything I know about what cannas want (this won't take long!): 1. shelter from the wind As Barb said, wind will catch those big leaves like sails & whip them to shreds. I have some against the house & some against the fence. 2. sun. within reason. A client gave me a start of some burgundy-leaved cannas, which I lovingly planted in full sun 3 summers ago. They fry & wilt & look depressed & I've never gotten a bloom. About a month ago, I moved them to a less brutally sunny spot, & so far, they look good. I think dark leaves on any plant absorb too much heat. The red ruffled basil wilted every single day last summer, so I've moved it under a redbud tree. 3. reasonable water: Cannas are tropicals (funny to think that, since they grow like weeds here), not xeriscape or desert plants, & they like water & humidity & all that jazz. I put one in a pot one summer & set it in my miniscule "bog garden" (rubbermaid tote stuffed into a whiskey barrel) in bright shade. It loved it. Note to all: remove the pot from the bog before winter. Dormant cannas will rot if left in water. I just know this. 4. a little elbow room: Divide them every now & then. I usually do it when they start pushing each other out of the ground. (see? told you it wouldn't take long!)