Well, we're back from a beautiful, sunny, relaxing vacation in Florida, but I'm not really sure to what extent we're back to garden. Normally I love the fall clean-up in the garden, but I'm not ready to face it just yet.
Last week before we left, Lily and I picked all the winter squash, 4 acorn and 2 delicata, to be exact. The plants were thriving, as squash plants like to do. And then it seemed like overnight the powdery mildew swept in and devoured the leaves. I noticed it was happening all around the neighborhood too, suddenly lush, green plants looked like they'd been snowed on, or more appropriately, ashed on.
I've never been able to control it or stop it once it starts and I know it's common, but it sure doesn't fail to annoy me. I saw a photo of a pumpkin farmer in his acres of maturing pumpkin plants and they were all green, not one spot of powdery mildew in sight, and it got me wondering, do pumpkin farmers use pesticides? I know that might sound like a naive question, but I guess I just never thought about pumpkins and pesticides.
Greg and I also made fruit leather from our plums which we both like and Lily definitely does NOT like. She does like the winter squash, though so that's a plus. I can't wait to make some squash bread, YUM! YUM!
Welcome back, guys! We're back, too -- and would love to get together soon. Let us know if you're up for meeting at a pumpkin patch one weekend this month!
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