Squashes are part of the gourd family (genus Cucurbita) that includes courgettes, marrows, cucumbers and melons. Native to the New World, they were cultivated by indigenous people before European settlement. They made their way to Europe by sea in the early sixteenth century. The earliest illustration is in Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany between 1503 and 1508.


Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18770815

Frescoes in the Villa Farnesina, Rome between 1815 and 1818 shows the variety of cucurbits in Renaissance Italy.

Winter squashes or pumpkins show a wide variation in of size, colour and shape. They have harder skins than summer squashes and, if ripened, can be store for many months. I have harvested squashes in October that lasted until May. This year I grew three types, and they cropped a bit sparsely because of the dry weather in June - squashes love a rich moist soil.




The smallest are ‘Blue Kuri’, a Japanese ‘Kabocha’ variety of squash also known as Blue Hokkaido Squash.

The slightly larger, ribbed ones ’Marina di Chioggia’ which were transported to the fishing port of Chioggia in Italy in the late 1600's and became synonymous with the region.

The huge warty ones are Galeux D’Eysines originating from the Bordeaux region of France, this heirloom was first listed by the French seed company Vilmorin in 1883 under the name Warted Sugar Marrow.




I grew these a few years ago and put in the picture to illustrate some different shaped and sized winter squashes. The yellowy pink ones were up to 60cm long!

Tags: Produce