My 35-Pound Watermelon in Maurice, South Louisiana

When I began my gardening career many years ago, I had tried to grow watermelons one season. I had produced two big watermelons but the plant had taken over my whole garden space. I thought the result wasn't worth giving up all the space so I never planted watermelons again until this year.

My daughter, Karima, was with me at Lowe's when I purchased my vegetable plants this year and she asked to plant a watermelon. I now have two garden spaces so I though, what the heck, I wasn't going to do that big of a garden this spring anyway. So we planted a watermelon and sure enough, it just about took over one of my gardens.

The large watermelon on the edge of the jungle is the second one we eat this season. The first one weighed 20 pounds.

This one was just over 35 pounds! We had to get daddy to carry it in the house.

And one proud little girl!