The Three Sisters!

There are definite signs of Autumn down on the patch, but I'm sure I haven't had Summer yet! This lovely eggshell blue squash is a close relative of the Crown Prince, this one is the original New Zealand ancester 'Whangaparaoa Crown' . Lovely dense, dry flesh which is a stunning orange colour, and supposed to be a brilliant keeper throughout Winter.
This one Rouge Vif D'Etamps is a favourite from last year, it turns a fantastic dark orange colour on maturing and kept right up till Christmas last year.

We were promised a hot Summer this year so I accepted a kind offer of some Queensland Blue squash seeds from Scarecrow down under in Australia. Despite the less than ideal conditions I have quite a few of these wonderful squash. Also deep orange flesh which is dense and dry.

Another winner this year were my Lazy Housewife beans. Long, straight and prolific, this old heritage variety should make a strong comeback. I am saving the last crop for seed.

I am thrilled with the performance of my Conqueror sweet corn. This is a new-ish variety bred for the unpredictable British climate.

Even though pollination in some places was patchy, the cobs are sweet and tender despite being left on the stalk for 3 weeks when they were already to pick before I went away on holiday.

I remember the older varieties would be tough and tasteless if you left them that long. These were grrreat! Definitely a keeper for next year.

In these two cobs you can see an example of good pollination (the top one) and poor pollination (the bottom one). This is the reason you must grow sweet corn in a block and not in a row. The pollen at the top of the plant must fall down to fertilize the tassles on the end of the cob. If they are grown in a line then the pollen might just blow away!