Now James... Don't be a negative Nancy.

This thing came up in my newly made Lasagna Garden... far far away from anything in the garden. I have such a squash vine borer problem.. nothing I had growing reached a maturity to make it's own seeds last year. But I buy pumpkins from the farmer's market.
I think I remember putting the peelings from the squash out there, but I don't remember putting any seeds out there unless it was some see that I didn't get removed when I scooped the pumpkin out to cook it or carve it into a Jack O'lantern.

I like to gamble with seeds... so I usually let anything that may be productive grow. Goodness knows I have enough problems keeping the Ground Ivy, Honeysuckle, Virginia Creeper and Grape vines pulled.

This spring a woman at work approached me with a couple little squash looking plants growing in a cup. She said they were pumpkins and could I grow them for her as she didn't have enough room for a big ol pumpkin vine. I consented and brought them home and planted them at the end of my squash row. They grew like weeds, but alas no pumpkins. Instead it bore little round green bumpy things about eight inches in diameter. Quite a lot of them at that. When I saw this I asked the woman about the source of the seed, and she said her friend had saved the seed from a pumpkin last year. Well that explains the goofy looking squash. It doesn't help with the disappointment of the women who expected to get some pumpkins out of the deal.

Aside from that, I am intrigued with the weeds you mention there. We don't have those pests here in the dry western mountain deserts. In fact you can't grow a garden at all without weekly deep watering.

Does Virginia Creeper have tenacles with sticky cups on the ends which actually glue to the support they climb on? It seems I have seen that growing on buildings as a cultivated plant. I have never seen it grow wild.

Just remembered I had a pic of the goofy squash along with some other squash and pumpkins. See those little round ones on the ground in front of the big pumpkin? They have light yellow vertical stripes. There is some Acorn squash there with them. I don't know what they taste like, but they are a far cry from pumpkins to look at and not nearly as big.

You have an admirable harvest there.

Yes, Virginia Creeper is that stuff that has it's own suction cup tentacles that attach to things. It is a bear to pull off the side of the garage. I'm working on taking out honeysuckle vines and "brushy" trees from my fence line.

What are those tomatoes down in front in the pic?

The pumpkin I have really tastes good. It is shaped tall, slihgtly tapered toward the top.
It is the same color as a butternut squash. It tastes like a butternut squash.
I have so much trouble with squash vine borers that I'm glad to be able to grow anything that is resistant to the darn things.

What's with these chinese herb people?? Who are they??

More on topic, great harvest James!

quote:

What are those tomatoes down in front in the pic?

Yes, I picked a few tomatoes that afternoon. Most of the tomato patch is behind the truck, but you can see a corner of the plastic I have covering them. The variety is Jet Setter. They are ripening slowly. I might get some tomato juice yet.

That pumpkin is something.... I have discovered a cool way to put a face on this pumpkin.... I have been tasking the wax off of "Gouda" and other cheeses wrapped in wax. I form the wax into the shapes of triangles, other pumpkin face shapes and the wax will adhere to the surface of the pumpkin after warming it in my hands for a few minutes. So this pale skinned pumpkin has a Halloween face without damage to the flesh.. It may not glow in the dark.. but it shines during the day.