What's Growing on Hen and Drake Farm - Week 16

This week I started cucumbers, melons and squash 

This year I am growing 4 varieties of heirloom cucumbers, 7 varieties of heirloom melons, 4 varieties of heirloom summer squash, 8 varieties of heirloom winter squash and 1 heirloom gourd

Cucumbers I'm growing this year:

Barese - Botanically a melon but eaten immature as a cucumber. Pale green and coated in a light fuzz similar to a peach. Sweet and non bitter

Homemade Pickles - Firm, blocky 3-4 inch fruits perfect for pickles

Lemon - Yellow, round lemon sized fruit, sweet and refreshing. Best picked small, it can be eaten fresh or pickled

Suyo Long - Very mild and sweet. Can grow to 18"

Melons I'm growing this year:

Early Hanover - Small, green fleshed melon dating to 1895

Early Silver Line - Small yellow skinned, white fleshed melon from Korea 

Ha'ogen - Pretty yellow with green stripes and green flesh. Originally from Hungary 

Minnesota Midget - Originating from Minnesota in 1948. A miniature version of the classic musk melon 

Model - Small yellow skinned, green fleshed melon from Poland 

Oka (Bizard Island Strain) - Originating in Canada in the 1920's. Cream skin and orange flesh

Prescott Fond Blanc - Pre-Civil War French melon. Medium size and heavily ribbed with orange flesh

Summer squash I'm growing this year:

Black Beauty - Very dark green, nearly black, zucchini from the 1920's

Cocozelle - Flavorful, green striped zucchini from Italy

Golden - Bright yellow zucchini 

Yellow Crookneck - A very prolific Pre-Columbian summer squash

Winter squash and gourds I'm growing this year:

Ambar - Medium, dark green with orange flesh. Sweet and nutty

Black Futsu - Heavily ribbed, dark green, nearly black fruits. Roasted flesh is said to have a rich, hazelnut flavor. From Japan 

Buen Gusto De Horno - Spanish, green, warty fruits with yellow-orange flesh

Delicata - Sometimes called "Sweet Potato" squash. Small, oblong fruits with green striped cream skin. Yellow flesh is very sweet. Originating in 1894

Golden Delicious - Red-orange skin with orange flesh. Introduced in Oregon in 1926

Lady Godiva - Pretty orange pumpkin with mottled green stripes. They are grown for their tasty "naked" seeds, rather than their flesh

Luffa - Grown for its fibrous skeleton that is used to exfoliate skin. It can also be eaten young as a cucumber substitute

Luxury Pie Pumpkin - Beautiful white netted orange skin. One of the best flavored varieties for pie

Pike's Peak - Long, slate blue squash with orange flesh. Originally from Mexico

Outside I planted sunflowers, dill, nasturtiums, borage and Flying Saucer morning glory

Sunflowers I'm growing this year:

Autumn Beauty - Multi-branching in shades of orange, yellow, gold and maroon bi-colors 

Black Russian - Giants. Yellow heads up to 24 inches across on 15 foot stalks

Evening Sun - Similar to Autumn Beauty. Shades of burgundy, rust, bronze, yellow and crimson, many bi-colored 

Giant Primrose - Creamy yellow petals with chocolate centers. Up to 12 feet tall

Lemon Queen - Bright lemon yellow blooms with chocolate centers 

Mexican Torch - Produces masses of red-orange blooms over a long season