Here's the question: Ok, I just found your site by accident and now I have a question..Can you grow a watermelon in Abbotsford and where can I get a plant to try this. I realize that this is a very odd question but I thought what the hey. Why not? Thanks, Marlene The short answer is "Yes" - you can grow watermelon here. The long answer is as follows: You might be a bit late to start this year (towards the beginning of June). Our climate is not ideal. Watermelon like a long, warm summer. Those gardeners who have found this site from zone 8 in the southern US actually have a pretty ideal climate for watermelon. In BC, most of our watermelon growers are in the Okanagan, and they have to cheat a bit to fit watermelon into our shorter growing season. They usually start seedlings indoors up to five weeks before planting out. They also choose smaller varieties of watermelon (icebox varieties), which can mature in as little as 70 days. It's not a common purchase for gardens in the lower mainland, and so, not surprisingly, I haven't seen seedlings in the local garden centers (if anyone reading this has seen them for sale, e-mail me, and I'll add the information here). So it looks like your best bet is to start them from seed yourself. I checked out a couple of sources. Stokes Seeds has several varieties listed, both seeded and seedless, including a neat looking yellow variety called Yellow Doll which matures in under 70 days. McKenzie Seeds (the supplier of the large seed displays you see in Wal-Mart and Superstore) even stocks a few varieties. Sugar Baby is recommended for our climate. So, aside from the fact that you need to get an early start, you also need to give them a fair amount of room, full sun, and regular fertilizing. And now that I've looked into it, I'm toying with the idea of sneaking a couple of plants into my own garden (who am I kidding - there's no way I have the room!)