Here at Eco-Gites of Lenault we like Pumpkins and Squashes. We like them a lot! Every year I like to try at least one new variety but I find it hard not to grow the ones I also like from previous years .... which is why every year I grow far too many of them! No matter - the fact is they store well, can be made into sweet and savoury dishes, can be frozen for later use and if they start to go a bit manky they get fed to the pigs who love them!!
This week I have been sowing them as well as cucumbers and courgettes. Lots of them! No need to sow marrows though as you can guarantee I will miss a courgette somewhere along the way and within a day or so it will have grown to the size of a marrow!
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| Squash and Pumpkin Seeds 2014 |
Pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers, melons, marrows and courgettes all belong to the same family called the curcabits. They are all very tender plants and will shrivel at the slightest whiff of frost so I am taking a bit of a risk sowing them this early. I have however retained half the seeds in case I need to sow more later on. A word of caution though. If you have tried to save seeds from a favourite pumpkin etc - the curcubit family are a rather promiscuous lot and will cross pollinate with anyone else in the same family. Like as not you could end up with a cucuquash or pumpgette and it probably won't taste that good!
As for where I will plant them all that is something I will have to work out later - this was my pumpkin patch and harvest from 2 years ago! It's always a bit of a squash but I will get them in somewhere and have even been known to plant them in an empty pig pen!
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| Pumpkin Patch 2012 |
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| Pumpkin Harvest 2012 |
One thing though does puzzle me - what exactly is a Squash and what is a Pumpkin? Is anyone able to enlighten me?
Finally remember those little lettuce seedling I planted in the polytunnel back in mid February? They are doing well and we ate the first one yesterday together with some other cut and come again salad leaves and a couple of edible but peppery nasturtium flowers. The freshest salad anywhere I reckon!
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| First Garden Salad of 2014 |
Are you growing any Pumpkins or Squashes this year and if so do you have a favourite variety? After all I am always willing to try another new variety next year!
Can never have too many pumpkins! I love them in curries and in soup particularly. But I don't like pumpkin pie!
ReplyDeleteNot a lover of pumpkin pie either but I have a huge list of recipes we do all like!
DeleteWhoa thats a lot of squash! I am seeing squash yams!
ReplyDeleteWe ate a good number of them and the pigs had the rest!
DeleteLovely to have that first harvest in, I still have a lamb in my greenhouse so will be waiting for mine!
ReplyDeleteLOL re lamb!
Deletewow, that is a huge harvest! I really loved growing courgettes last year… my mother-in-law gave us a handful of plants and we just popped them in some grow bags and off they went! x
ReplyDeleteI love growing courgettes and always have too many of those too - but I make a lovely chilli courgette pickle that is like hot and spicy Branston. Yum!
DeleteOoo yummy - lettuce sandwiches are my fave! I love how much you grow, I cannot wait to book to stay, the flipping school holiday times are constraining us this year :(
ReplyDeleteCourgettes are the one thing that I have managed to grow in abundance before - maybe I need to branch out into rhubarb!
Thanks for joining in again - I do hope that you enjoyed your time away! xxx
Lettuce and Marmite are even better! Sorry you can't make it this year. Feb 2015 half term then?!
Deletewe are also harvesting our cut and come again lettuces - Red Salad Bowl being my favourite variety x
ReplyDeleteThey are so easy to grow and so much nicer tasting than anything shop bought aren't they?!
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