When you're planning your edible garden, don't overlook the addition of melons. Before you add them in, though, be sure you can give these somewhat demanding plants the conditions they like.

That includes rich soil, full sun, plenty of water, and space to spread their 10-foot-long vines. Most of all, though, you need to give melons a long period of warm weather in which to grow.

Even the varieties that mature early need at least 70 days to ripen; other varieties may take up to 115 days to reach maturity. They are truly summer fruits.

Though cantaloupes, also called muskmelons, are the most widely grown melons, you will find plenty of other choices. Smaller muskmelons, such as Ha-Ogen and Charentais, are a good choice for limited spaces.

Late melons include the very sweet honeydew, casaba, Galia types, and Crenshaw, a popular hybrid. These generally do better in relatively dry areas. If you have room, and enough heat, there's the ultimate summer melon, the watermelon. You can find some early-ripening varieties, such as Icebox. If you want something different, try growing a seedless watermelon, or one that's yellow instead of red.

Where summer heat is not always a given, look for varieties that ripen early, such as Alaska cantaloupe, Earlidew honeydew, Passport (a Galia type), Savor (a French Charentais), and Sugar Baby watermelon. You can also use growing techniques, like plastic mulch and row covers, to help them along (see Planting Melons). If it's space that's a problem, look for miniature melons. These can be grown in large containers or trained up a very sturdy trellis.

Melons may like heat, but humidity can be a problem. Look for varieties that are resistant to mildew and other diseases if you live in a humid or coastal region.