Strawberry. In Georgia, they suggest you either plant these in two rows,with a ditch between to rip up their runners, or plant them with space around them and let their runners develop into new plants, I really don't get why it is one way or another, I guess they just want you to stay organized?
The only issue I had was that in early spring, they are the only food out so the birds nest I made around my garden (although they did eat bugs) had a strawberry dessert! In late spring they found other things to eat, and I could beat them to it! Me and jesse joked that they just sat their in their littl house all day, and as soon as a berry turned red, they pounced. Next year I am going to get a fake snake ( you can also net them) and see if that helps.
Cantaloupe & Watermelons
I planted these on the edge of my garden because they are vines and they get messy. They are placed in what's called a hill. I used a mound of dirt (with a drip line trough it) and covered in in black plastic. Plastic is essential to melons because it wants a long growing season, but also warm soil. Also, when that watermelon develop, they need to not be touching the dirt, so the plastic protects then from rotting, Hills are about 6 feet apart.
I planted a few from seed, and a few from transplants (at least 3 each hill). We had two waves of crops, so trying to eat 11 cantaloupe at a time was funny, good thing Soren liked them!
When to harvest: Cantaloupe come of the vine really easy when they are done, get them or they'll split. Watermelon was a bit of a guess, sometimes they were just small, one of the babies, we gave to soren and he plays with it like a ball.
UGA recommended varieties:
Watermelon: baby doll crimson sweet, icebox, imagination, jade star
Cantaloupe: Athena, Ambrosia Saticoy Early
They are on the edge closest to patio, and the opposite edge. I did not used raiesd bed, the hill system works great.
Pumpkin disclaimer: pumpkins are similar to melons, my pumpkins died out this year, vine borers and the shade caused by the tree above did them in, i got two baby pumpkins, both rotted on the vine, Next year i will be victorious!
