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Squash
(Cucurbita pepo)
Varieties feature gorgeous foliage, worthy of your flower
garden. Giant maple-like leaf shapes are splashed with green
and silver. Some have glints of yellow here and there. Add
in brightly colored fruit that grows in unusual shapes and
you have a garden winner.
Some
squash are a bit rambling, so try zucchini. My favorites are
little 'Eight Ball', 'Clarimore' or 'Ghada', 'Golden Dawn'
and ribbed 'Italiano Largo'.
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| The
author's fall harvest includes several types of squash,
eggplant and 'Moon and Stars' watermelon. |
Watermelon
(Citrullus lanatus)
I didn't realize watermelon could be this beautiful until
I grew the heritage variety, 'Moon and Stars'. The shiny foliage
and watermelons themselves are dotted with yellow constellations
and crescent moons. They were really tasty, too!
Adding
Flowers to the Mix
The following suggestions include some of the most suitable
flowers to grow with your vegetables. They include calendula/pot
marigold (Calendula officinalis), nasturtium (Tropaeolum
majus), flowering tobacco (Nicotiana), petunia,
verbena, snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), cosmos, amaranth
(Amaranthus), daylily (Hemerocallis), pansy
(Viola), begonia, shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum),
lily (Lilium), ageratum, French marigold (Tagetes
patula), salvia, zinnia, dahlia, roses (Rosa) and
mallow (Malva).
Spectacular
Garden Displays
For a spring/summer display, make a tepee of 8' high branches
with a base at least 4 sq.ft. Early in the growing season,
plant pansies and lettuce in closely spaced rows and add
some brightly colored calendula. When the soil is warm, plant
a couple of scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus
'Scarlet Runner') close to the poles. Add four purple-podded peas (Pisum sativum
'Purple Podded') evenly spaced on the outside (they will finish
first). By mid-season, the lettuce will be almost done and
the climbers will take over. Seed some contrasting sunflowers
(Helianthus) in burgundy or yellow.
For
an outstanding fall display
Plant a cardoon and surround it with rhubarb chard, blue-foliage
leeks and 'Redbor' kale. Add some cosmos and purple wave petunias
(Petunia x hybrida) around the outside and enjoy!
Jennifer
Grant
Master
Gardener
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