F1 squash: crown prince

An F1 squash: that sounds like a horrible accident involving racing cars. No - it's a specially bred, big kinda pumpkin. 2008 was a miserable year for squash. Well, at least it was for us.

The cold, wet summer slowed the plants down and they never fruited.

Squash will fruit towards the end of the summer and into early autumn on the end of long, snaking runners. Or not, as was the case for us this year.

But, of course, better gardeners than us did achieve success with squash. Mikes crop seemed to reach that of biblical surplus. He was trampling them underfoot at one point. I saw this with my own eyes.

Here's 'the proof of the pudding'. This is one of his Crown Prince squashes. It is an F1 variety, so having the advantage of great vigour, but no use for collecting seeds from for next year. F1 seeds do not 'come true'. This beauty has duck egg blue skin and a dense flesh with chestnut flavour. Quite delicious.