Sunday, November 21, 2010

Squash Harvest 2010


It was another good squash year.....which makes me smile, because Winter squash is one of our favorite vegetables around here!




This season's harvest, all lined up in their beautiful colors. These were picked on October 17th....we received our first frost later that night.






Squash posing in front of Steve's garden......with the beautiful backdrop of Cut and Come Again Zinnias in the background. This garden space needed a little something to beautify it, so I made the little bark area, surrounded by smooth river rocks and added the cobalt blue birdbath and pots. I was very pleased with it, except that by the time this photo was taken the petunias in the pots were pretty well exhausted, so next year I will have something waiting in the wings to pop into the blue pots....maybe some fall asters?






Sweet Meat Squash, on the left, are so pretty in their bluish green hues. It is one of our all time favorites for it's sweet, dry, orange flesh. The orange squash, on the right, is called Sunshine, the only hybrid I grow. It is also a favorite, especially for it's earliness. If I pick the fruits early enough, I can get two crops from this variety.



Bumpy and warted Marina de Chioggia. I grew these for the first time last year, and found that they improve in storage, so we will eat them last!





This odd looking squash is called Galeux D'eysines. I grew these at the request of my friend Catherine who supplied the seeds. The days to maturity is 105, and her growing season is too short for them to mature in her area. Does this make me a surrogate gardener? :-)

This is the catalog description from Territorial Seeds: " An elegant French heirloom with an appropriately elegant sounding name. Magnifique! This stunning squash has beautiful salmon-peach colored skin covered with peanut shell-like warts caused by sugar in the skin. Traditionally used in France for soups and sauces, when cooked, the sweet orange flesh is as smooth as velvet. Each flattened squash weighs 10-15 pounds and can store for up to 6 months. Definitely a show stopper in the garden or on the table. " I might add that the vines are very prolific and outgrew my garden....until the deer pruned them off for me.

Two different types of Butternut squash, to the right in the photo above, rounded out the line-up for this year. We love them for the sweet, smooth, dry flesh.... and because one is just the right size to pop in the oven for the two of us.





While pulling up squash vines, I found this adorable little nest of Quail eggs, hidden beneath the vines. We have lots of Quail here, and they are like pets. We love watching them peck around with their cute little top feathers bobbing!




12 comments:

Carolyn ♥ said...

That is a great harvest! And how I long for quail in my gardens. Close by, but not yet here.

Carol said...

What beautiful colors . . . I love how you have them all line up. Fabulous harvest. You will have squash for months to come. ;>)

Catherine said...

I don't think I like anything from the garden better than winter squash! Yours are all magnifique!! And, thanks for bringing me such lovely fruits, surrogate mama ;}

Melissa said...

I wish my husband liked winter squash.

The quail's nest is a treasure.

Kathi said...

Wow - that is a great harvest - and great pics too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Corner Gardener Sue said...

What an awesome harvest! When I first saw the quail eggs, I thought they were broken, but I'm gathering that they've already hatched. Cool!

Remember to bake your squashes on a regular basis. I've been making soups and such with the ones I got at the farmer's market. I tried growing some last year, but only got one or two before the squash vine borer killed the plants.

Carrie said...

Hi Mrs B! I love quail... especially the babies. They are the cutest little things! =)
As you might know, my family are not big squash eaters, however I've been thinking of trying some. 'Cept for one thing, I have no idea what is the best way to eat them! Can you please share what your favorite ways and/or recipes are?! I've been trying to get a little braver in trying vegetables that I either didn't grow up eating or haven't really liked before. Seth and I have been enjoying eating more zucchinni, cucumbers, mushrooms, etc. But until I have a good recipe or idea of how to cook/eat squash I'm afraid I haven't been brave enough to buy/try any! =(
So any little tips would be great!
Thanks, and love the pictures!!!
<3 Carrie Jo

Debbie said...

I love those pictures, nicely taken.
Cheers, Debbie.

Seattle Homes For Sale said...
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Randy Felts said...

Great blog.

Randy Felts
http://randyfelts.blogspot.com/

wongkito said...

I do not find such fruit in my country, whether it's a kind of pumpkin?

Anthony Spence said...

Great Harvest..