One of our favorite vegetables to grow each year is the yellow summer squash. These are some of the best looking squash plants we've managed to grow. It could be due to the increased rain this year or maybe the raised beds, but whatever the reason the plants are looking full and strong. They should provide an abundance of squash this season.
While the plants look really good the blossoms look even better. This is where all the magic happens. The flowers are either male or female. You can recognize which is which by inspecting the base of the flower. If you see what looks like a small version of the fruit or a little nub you have found a female flower. You need good pollination for the flowers to produce squash so go easy on the pesticides and allow the busy bees to do their work.
Here is a recently pollinated squash with the newly forming fruit. Below it you can see a male flower beginning to blossom.
Here's another close-up of a squash blossom. Did you know you can eat the blossoms? I saw a recipe for stuffed squash blossoms today on television. It sounds interesting but I'll wait on the squash itself!
Here's another view from underneath the plant.
We like to fry the squash with a mixture of cornmeal, flour, onions, salt and pepper and sometimes garlic. It may not be the healthiest way to prepare your veggies but it does taste good!
Labels: raised beds, vegetable garden, vegetables
