...Speaking of pumpkins, we did not have a very good crop of gourds this year. I think this was partly due to the prolonged cold Spring, with frosts right into late May, followed by a period of dry weather. The late sowed gourds did not get away very well. We ended up with only a small number to harvest.
I normally just grow butternut squash, one variety of pumpkin and sometimes a mixture of ornamental smaller gourds for indoor decoration. Pumpkins are generally an easy crop to grow and there are plentiful varieties to choose from. They come in many shapes, sizes and colours. The big, carve-able orange varieties are readily available in October for Halloween if you are that way inclined as we witnessed yesterday. Where I am, betwixt the US airbases of Mildenhall and Lakenheath, many are indeed that way inclined.
The one variety of pumpkin I grow is 'Crown Prince'. This is a large variety which has a distinctive pale blue-grey skin with a deep orange flesh. This contrast makes it doubly attractive in appearance. The flesh is also quite dense which contributes to its commendable cooking properties, holding its shaped well when baked. ‘Crown Prince’ is notably sweet in taste.
‘Crown Prince’ can grow to 4-5 kg (8- 11 lbs) or more. It also has the virtue of storing very well. Given their size this is a useful quality to have since one will go a long way. Today we made soup from it which was vey tasty indeed.
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