Look at this beautiful squash. It is a Cushaw squash, a winter squash.  That means it has a tough skin and is harvested when the seeds are mature.  Most winter squashes keep well in a cool, dry place into the winter.  Think of zucchini as summer squash, and Butternut and pumpkins as winter squashes.

 

A couple of years ago, my sister took me to a farm in Gloucester VA.  I saw a gorgeous big green squash and had to bring it home to NC.  It weighed about 6 pounds, and being a grocery store shopper as opposed to a farmers' market girl, I figured they sold them by the pound.  I'm thinking 12 bucks.  And trust me on this: it was so gorgeous I would have paid that.  When the nice couple added up Linda's purchase, they charged her 2 dollars for that fabulous squash.

 

It made it home to North Carolina, and when we cut into it in the winter, it was delicious.  So we saved some seeds.  

 

This year I planted a whole bunch of squash seeds.  The tags got a little mixed up, so I just put the extra plants into my new happy garden.  This one really took off.  The vines are sprawled all over the place, and the last few days this fruit has doubled, nay, tripled in size!!!  There are two more baby squashes on the vine, so I cut this big one, to allow the plant's energy to focus on the next one.  That way we get two medium, rather than a big one and a little one.  We'll see how they do.

 

Oh!!  Did I tell you that it weighs 6 lbs, 9.5 oz.  I love it!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!