French Pumpkins & More

These can get nice and large...I fell in love with them after seeing one last fall.  They should be full sized by Thanksgiving {with fingers crossed}, but smaller versions can be consumed and should be ready much sooner.

It makes one feel kind of wealthy to be planting French Heirloom pumpkin, one's that were "the most common pumpkin in the Central Market in Paris back in the 1880's."  I think I've mentioned it here before, but I have a few squash I'm planting for this growing season.  Many went in the ground yesterday, and more will go in today at the house garden and then down at the community plot.  With squash I have learned that the varieties need to be spaced {or else you end up with yellow pumpkins and such}.  So, I have things spread out on different sides of the back yard gardens and more on opposite sides of the house up front, and then downtown--hopefully that will be good enough.  Things range from being planted in the raised beds to the wooden planter boxes to cast off black pots that housed the okra last year.  Winter squash means fall in my mind.  It's a bit odd and out of sync to be planting these in August, but this is the desert life and I'm excited for fall and cooler temperatures and squash.

Varieties in the ground that will be ready by the end of October to mid-November {if I can effectively keep the squash pests away}:
Rouge Vif d' Etampes Pumpkin
Tennessee Sweet Potato
North Georgia Candy Roaster
New England Sugar Pie
Sweet Dumpling
Butternut Rogosa Violina Gioia
Winter Vegetable Spaghetti Squash
Blue Hubbard Winter Squash
Small Winter Luxury Pumpkin