Autumnal Table Art

Last night I did a big harvest in the garden. And by big, I am mean two buckets full of stuff and handing over veg to the neighbor who *happened* to also be out in her yard. Uh-huh...

Anyway, in case you don't know the story, we started from seeds a variety of vines: zucchini, summer squash, zephyr squash, and some melons (honeydew, cantaloupe, water). Now, the seeds didn't take in our seed incubators. But, not wanting to waste to the soil in the starter pots, I spread the soil out through the garden, thinking when I came across a seed that it was a dud packet, so I didn't bother to remove it. I just let it drop to the ground with the rest of the soil I was spreading. Um, yeah.

Turns out that vine seeds really like warm soil. And I mean warm. So, not February indoor soil but late March outdoor soil. We had more vines than we knew what to do with! They kept coming and growing and spreading and taking over. I was so happy! I love zucchini! I can make my father's zucchini bread!

And then I learned another thing about squashes: They mutate. Very easily. They cross pollinate, they transform, they change.

So, none of the varieties we planted we got. We got instead some green microphone-looking squash. We got bumpy and smooth ones. We got mini pumpkins, some striped, some yellow or orange, or my favorite: the green and white striped one. We got them dangling up through the tomato plants and the butterfly bush.




I attempted baking them, sauteing them, roasting them. But in the end, they didn't taste all that great and they really are more decorative squash. Now, when I go to the store I won't have decorative fall gourd envy for my autumnal center piece on my table. Now, I am wondering if Will can't use his magically craving powers and make a fun scene with the gourds for the Halloween jack-o-lanterns. Now, I am wondering, how many more of these gourds am I going to get (cuz there are more! I didn't pick the baby beginning gourds on the vine), because I am in need of only one table centerpiece. Do any of you need some lovely organic table decorations? I know where you can get some cheap...