A funny story about using pantyhouse that I saw in an email that I received; this is not an original story, and I do not know the source, but it seems plausible:

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How to Grow Cantaloupe in the Home Garden - Don’t Throw Out Those Old Pantyhose!
By A Paxhia

For many home gardeners, growing cantaloupe is not considered a viable option. Due to limited space in the average urban garden, most consider this delicious fruit impossible to grow without sacrificing precious garden space. With a few simple modifications, almost any home garden can produce this luscious fruit.

After tasting the difference between a melon that a friend had grown in her large country garden and the store bought variety, I decided to try to grow some in my own garden. Having limited space, I knew I couldn’t grow them in the traditional way. There simply would not be enough room for anything else if they were allowed to sprawl at will.

Ignoring the planting instructions on the seed packet, I began. Instead of planting in hills as suggested on the packet, I planted a single row along a section of the wire fence that borders my garden. Spacing the seeds about five or six inches apart, I planted an eight-foot long row. As the seeds germinated and the plants began to grow, I tied them to the fence and trained them to climb up their trellis. This solved the problem of having adequate growing space but that was only the beginning of the modifications that would be necessary to produce a harvest of melons.

As the summer progressed and the plants continued to grow, meticulous guidance to get the vines where I wanted them and to keep them from flopping down to the ground was needed. I also found that the plants grown this way required more water than when they are allowed to sprawl on the ground. Unlike their field grown counterparts, cantaloupe grown upright do not shade the ground and reduce evaporation like those whose vines are allowed to cover the earth under them. A generous amount of organic mulch around the base of the plants helped a little but more water was still a necessity.

When the plants started to set fruit, it was evident that some support would need to be provided to keep the weight of the maturing fruit from snapping off the vines. Preferring a material that would expand as the fruit grew larger, I decided to use nylon stockings! As each cantaloupe was about the size of a golf ball, I cut a generous length of nylon pantyhose and made a hammock to support each fruit. After securing each little hammock to the fence, daily checking and periodic adjustment of the support was necessary. As the fruits neared maturity, additional support was needed so, using strips of old bed sheets, I fashioned an additional sling to support each melon until it was ripe. Supporting the fruit in this way, we have enjoyed up to about twenty melons every year from our modest home garden.

Though this method was very successful in producing melons from the Hale’s Best variety, several melons were lost when I tried growing larger fruited varieties. This method should work well for any variety producing fruit in the four to six pound range.

Fungus gnats in plants is something that people get very worried about. They are fearful about what these insects can do, and get thoroughly irritated over their presence. In addition, there does not seem to be an easy way to get rid of them permanently, and dosing plants with a lot of insecticide does not work a lot of times. So, here is an article that talks about this a bit further. Of course, if you know of other resources that can help in this problem, please do leave a link in the comments. Here are a few excerpts from this article (link):

Fungus Gnats look like fruit flies, commonly they are found at the base of indoor potted plants. They are small silver/blackish flies that also resemble a sandfly. Fungus gnats love wet soil and decaying plant material. Fungus gnats search out moist soil in which to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae will feed on the roots of your plants.
Do not overwater!!! The easiest way to prevent fungus gnats is to water your plants properly. Overwatering, which causes your potting mix to remain moist for extended periods of time, seems to attract fungus gnats. A store bought solution is BTK an organic bacterial application that will rid you plants of fungus gnats without causing you harm.

I found this article useful, and am hopeful that you will find the link provided useful.

Planting: Strawberry plants (crowns with roots) should be planted only half way up the crowns. Any deeper and they rot and die. Any shallower and they dry and die. The plants need to be about 10-12 inches apart and, planted either in rows about the same width or a little wider. Because they do well in weedless area, they need to have some sort of protection against weeds.

Types: If they are June bearing types, they produce only a single crop per year, and love very rich soil. If they are everbearing types, they will produce throughout the summer, but usually are smaller and less berries.

Propagation: Most plants will send out runners. These look like long stems and will start to form new leaves and roots at their tips. Usually they should have all the runners picked off and removed in the first season, so the plants can put more energy into the berries. After about two years, the crowns tend to get longer and ‘leggy’. Usually after the third year, these older leggy plants need to be replaced. Because a single plant can send out several runners in all directions, you can have small pots positioned under each small plant runner, so the roots will take in the small pots. The same fall, these small plants can be cut off from the mother plant and transplanted the following spring. You will eventually have an endless supply of plants if you allow them to root the runners. If they grow unchecked, they will soon over take the patch nearby the runners and if planted too closely, these tend to produce smaller berries if crowded.

Pests: Birds like these as do chipmunks, and they can both carry away a whole berry. One way is to paint some small rocks with bright red paint and set these around the plants to act as decoys. Also rat traps baited with grapes can get rid of many of the other pests. You wil be on your knees a lot, so get used to crawling and weeding, picking and thinning.. Spider mites are an enemy of these plants.

Winter care: Usually they need no covering in winter, but do benefit if there is a heavy weight white platic fabric put down over the plants for the winter months. Covering them over in winter with plant mulch or leaves tend to cause rotting, so should be avoided.

The nectarine is a cultivar group of peach that has a smooth, fuzzless skin. Though fuzzy peaches and nectarines are commercially regarded as different fruits, with nectarines often erroneously believed to be a crossbreed between peaches and plums, or a “peach with a plum skin”, they belong to the same species as peaches. Several genetic studies have concluded in fact that nectarines are created due to a recessive gene, whereas a fuzzy peach skin is dominant. Nectarines have arisen many times from peach trees, often as bud sports.
Nectarine trees are small to medium sized short-lived trees, only living for about 12years. They are often grafted onto other rootstocks, similar to apple trees, which controls maximum height. If left to grow on their own rootstocks, nectarines will reach a height of 8 to 20 feet. Most varieties are self-pollinating, therefore only one tree will need to be planted to obtain fruit, that is, Peach and nectarine cultivars do not require cross pollination and set satisfactory crops with their own pollen. A single peach or nectarine tree can, therefore, be expected to bear crops in the home landscape if flower buds or flowers are not killed by low temperatures.
Nectarines require full sunlight and should not receive shade from buildings or tall trees. The early morning sun is particularly important because it dries the dew from trees, thereby reducing the incidence of diseases. If the planting site does not get plenty of sun, then you can’t expect the best performance from the trees. If possible, select a site with a high elevation so that cold air can drain away from the tree on a cold night during bloom. The best site will have well drained sandy loam type soil. Peach or nectarine tree roots or rootstocks will not tolerate soils where water remains on or near the surface for more than one hour after a heavy rain.
Prepare the soil one to two years before planting so that soil pH, organic matter, and nutrient status can be modified for the production of high quality peaches and/or nectarines. Prepare a bed at least 5 to 6 feet in diameter by cultivating (spading) 10 to 12 inches deep and adding organic matter such as manure, leaves, grass clippings, and compost. Before planting, prepare the soil thoroughly by plowing or spading followed by disking or raking to smooth the surface. If you have not adjusted the soil pH to 6.5 previously, liming should be done before you prepare the soil so that the lime will be mixed throughout the planting area. When added to the surface and not plowed in, lime takes years to move down into the soil. Lime an area 10′ by 10′ where each tree is to be planted. Phosphorus also moves down through the soil slowly and should be incorporated along with lime before planting if soil tests indicate a need.
Plant your tree in the spring in the center of your prepared area. Keep the bud union 1 inch above the soil. Planting a peach or nectarine tree too deep in the soil can cause poor growth or death.
Pruning and training should be done in the year of planting and every year after to develop a strong, well balanced framework of scaffolds (a tree with a strong trunk and well positioned side branches), as well as to maintain the balance between vegetative growth and fruit production. Immediately after planting, prune the tree back to a height of 26 to 30 inches. Cut off all side branches to leave a whip (a shoot without lateral branches or with lateral branches removed) that is 26 to 30 inches tall. Although this may sound drastic, the best shaped open center trees come from those pruned initially to a whip. The principles used to develop the trees are used to annually maintain the size and shape of the mature tree. Remove low-hanging, broken and dead limbs first, then remove the vigorous upright shoots along the scaffolds. Lower the tree to the desired height by pruning the scaffolds to an outward growing shoot at the desired height.

Can you grow nectarines from seed ?
Nectarines can be grown from seed but they require a cold period to break the dormancy. The period is about 90 days of temps below 40 degrees. Plant the seed (free of fruit) in a pot about 1 inch deep. Place the pot in a plastic baggie, seal it and put it in the fridge for 90 days. Place back out ina warm area (70degrees F or better) and germination should occur in a few weeks or you can leave the pot outdoors for the winter making sure you keep the soil moist and the seeds will germinate in the spring.

There are few plants that create greater intrigue or visual impact during all four seasons than the flowering crabapple. In the spring all eyes are enticed with delicate colors offered by emerging leaves and buds. Unopened flower buds may hint of one color and as flowers open, other hues are revealed in a spectacular floral display. As flowers fade the rich foliage offers another subtle contribution to the landscape.
The flowers of crabapple tree are to be expected in full bloom during late April up to middle of May. There are classifications of the flowers of the crabapple tree. There is the single type with only five petals in it and the semi-double has six to ten petals. The double type has more than ten petals. Double-flowered crabapple trees will be able to keep the flowers longer but the fruits are not abundant.
Blossoms often open from pink or red buds and change to paler shades after opening, creating a beautiful pink cloud lasting several weeks. Asian crab apple specimens are usually preferred for ornament because their fruits are more colorful and last into the winter providing food for over-wintering birds. Blossom colors range from pearly white through delicate pinks to a deep red. There are even cultivars with coral or salmon colored flowers.
The flowers are pollinated by the early bees, one of the 90 possible associated insects that the Crab apple provides a home and sustenance for. Another form of wildlife that benefits from the growth of the Crab apple tree are our native birds, they relish the trees autumn crop of greenish-yellow miniature apples. Crab apples are much loved by birds as a source of food. Those birds will then depart to scatter the apple seed throughout the hedgerows where they perch, there it will grow to complete another of nature’s life circles. Raw Crab apples are much too acid for us humans; instead, we use the fruit in the creation of jams and jellies, often combined with rowan or blackberries.
Flowering crabapples are adaptable but thrive in rich loam type soil (a combination of clay, silt, and sand). Regardless of soil type, good drainage is a must for tree health. Crabapples grow best in a moist, slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. Excessively moist areas and low spots should be avoided. On the other hand, relatively dry sites can be tolerated by crabapples if plant stresses are minimized during the first year after transplanting.
Crabapples planted in average fertility soils and provided moderate amounts of organic matter need little additional fertilizer the first year. If you note that annual growth is less than 5″ - 6″ or leaves are small or pale green, then supplemental fertilizer is required. If fertilizer is suggested, apply 2 - 3 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of root zone area.
Plant stress, evidenced as unhealthy appearance (e.g. leaf scorch, poor leaf color), is a response to unfavorable environmental conditions. Drought stress, for example, is due to a lack of water, either from rainfall or irrigation. Water is essential for every life function of the plant. However, too much water or over-watering, a persistent saturation of the roots, can lead to root rot and eventual plant death. Other plant stresses include too much shade, insect damage, infectious diseases, and physical damage from lawnmowers, weed-eaters, animals, and children playing.
Full sun exposure, 8 to 12 hours of direct sun, is required for optimal development of fruits and flowers. Most flowering crabapples are hardy and can endure the colder temperature extremes of zone 4 on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone maps.
Flowering crabapples require direct exposure to sunlight throughout the day to ensure the development of the flowers, as well as the fruits. This means the trees must be planted on locations where they can access the sun for at least eight hours every day.
Crabapples require little pruning other than to keep it in shape or from interfering with other landscape specimens. Rapidly growing shoots from branches, called water sprouts, rapidly growing shoots from roots or the base of the tree, called suckers, dead, diseased, damaged, and crossing branches should all be removed. Sometimes on dense growing crabapples, it’s necessary to prune the center of the plant to allow additional sunlight and air movement.
Pruning should be completed before early June. By mid-June to early July, flower buds for the next season are beginning to form in most crabapples. Pruning after July will reduce floral display and fruiting for the following year.