The Plum Granny

Say hello to the Plum Granny.

Not the Plumb Granny or the Plumagranite… 

The Plum Granny or Queen Anne Pocket Melon are two of it’s most recent names.  This melon is not vintage it is thought to be ancient and has many names throughout the ages. It would have disappeared completely had someone not saved a few seeds by accident.

Imagine if you live in a time where you could not bath everyday and had to wear a lot of heavy undergarments and long dresses and you came across this little compact melon that smelled ever so good.

What would you do with it?  The ladies of the Victorian era would carry them around in their pockets. Can you imagine carrying around a melon as a portable body freshener like we carry our little Bath and Body Works spray and lotion. Bless their hearts! You might be wondering where I got this Plum Granny. Well, I started talking to a co-worker about my heirloom tomato seeds and offered to gift him some so he brought me this. He didn’t know a lot about them except that they were very pretty in the garden and that long ago people put them in the corners of their homes because of their fragrance. He said they were not for eating. Some say they are although very bland in taste. So who knows? I was afraid to try…

This is what they look like inside and of course you see my DIY seed saving tape getting started. Next year my old Victoria house is going to smell wonderful! I wonder if they could be dried into potpourri or used in a flower arrangement? The colors are very fall like and beautiful.

If you would like to learn more about this amazing melon, I found an article written by a lady who remembers these as a child.

The memory of it entered her mind suddenly and powerfully. 

Isn’t nostalgia powerful! Colors, smells, shapes and taste. She began researching  and ends up writing all about the Queen Anne’s Pocket Melon, A Treasure Almost Lost.

I can just picture Cora admiring a bowl full of these on the table at Downton Abbey and saying, ” Ahh Mr. Carson, they just smell delightful this year, be sure and save some for the downstairs staff to enjoy.”

I really hope that this little cutie comes back into fashion! I know I will do my part!