the rogue squash plant

[felisdomesticus]

I have a compost bin that I use to recycle my kitchen and yard waste. BF topped up the soil in the garden this spring with the compost that had broken down over the winter.

Well, I had a rogue squash plant come up in the middle of my swiss chard and hot peppers. I had planted butternut squash in that spot the year before but it had never germinated. So silly me--I decide to let the thing grow because Scarlett and I love butternut squash.

It started growing fruit about a month ago and they were.... mini pumpkins! I never had those growing anywhere in the garden so the seed must have been in the compost from my doorstep decorations last fall. I was really angry because the stupid pumpkin plant took over the garden and destroyed my cauliflower, swiss chard, and hot peppers. What the hell was I going to do with 50 mini pumpkins anyway?

Sometimes I am really thick. I gave one to the redhead when I left to go to the pool this morning. I just checked in on her and she tore that thing up! She is going to be one happy little girl.

[Babyblue033]

I don't know if it's the glass of champagne I just had at the work birthday party, but I am just giggling at the mental image of this mini pumpkin appearing out of nowhere and taking over your garden At least your girl will have many MANY mini pumpkins to keep her busy for awhile

*Edited because I AM apparently too drunk to spell things right!

[The Outlaw]

Jill:

I buy all of my guys their own little pumpkins every year and let them "play" with them. The macaws have a grand time and the smaller guys usually just have a few good bites. Its like an edible ball for the macaws.

[Irish]

That's odd, innit? I have something similar going on, here. I can't grow a garden because we're on a very shady lot, but darned if some sort of squash or pumpkin isn't growing right by the lavender plant! I think it may be a stray seed from discarded bird seed or somesuch. So far, it's got some yellow round things growing on it. I can't wait to see if 1) it survives 'til autumn, and 2) what the heck it is! LOL! I know that squash and pumpkins and the like hybridize easily, so I may end up with some weird hybrid. Whatever it is, if it survives, I may cook it up and eat it :-). Pretty plant, but it's growing over a pathway and I need to find a way to move it w/out breaking the vine.

[grandma]

Wonder what i"ll grow. I discard the leftover seed from the bird dishes into a container then once a week throw it out into the yard to feed the wild birds.

[Dustin]

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

Jill:

I buy all of my guys their own little pumpkins every year and let them "play" with them. The macaws have a grand time and the smaller guys usually just have a few good bites. Its like an edible ball for the macaws.

do you have to do anything to "prepare" them?

[Irish]

Susan, I have a sunflower plant growing (it must have got accidently mixed in with the seed/nut mix that isn't supposed to have sunflower seed in it) as well as the squash thingy. Thankfully, none of the leftover hemp seeds that I feed a couple of times/week to the Goon Platton and their Partners in Crime (except Gracie) have germinated. LOL! I try to clean the seeds up at night so we don't attract nocturnal rodents (aka rats and mice), but I must have missed a few. I think it irks the boy who comes around every couple of weeks to mow the lawn, having to avoid mowing my stray plants. Oh well, he gets paid too much anyway--it won't hurt him to go around a couple of plants :-).

[felisdomesticus]

Originally Posted by Dustin

do you have to do anything to "prepare" them?

I just washed it really well and threw it into her bowl whole. Outlaw posted a pumpkin bake recipe last fall that involved apples, raisins, and cinnamon, I think.