I wouldn't try growing Butternut so far north. They require more warmth than the Peops or Maximas. I can grown them down here in Western Oregon and have a fine tasty crop. But I cannot fully ripen them with a hard shell needed for long term storage. Freezing only. I would think it would be worse for your climate, but maybe you get more warmth and less clouds, I don't know. I would recommend growing Delicatas. They're a Pepo and ripen in a quite timely manner up north. I have found that they do store quite well too, just not quite as long as a well-finished Maxima.

No, it doesn't mean anything. Most plants produce males first, than the female flowers, but it happens the other way around in a minority of plants. Eventually, you should get both. This does illustrate why it's a good idea to have more than one plant going if room allows it. And yes, unfortunately, the fruit that isn't pollinated won't do anything to speak of. If it gets big enough before it starts to shrivel and die, you can pick it and eat it as a summer squash if you want to.

Around about now I'm starting to wonder if I've spent too much time in the garden and not enough time playing but DH told me I really do like it and he certainly likes the zucchini chocolate chip cookies I make and wouldn't make if I didn't have access to so much zucchini. I have a collection of folders now containing recipes from the internet because when something has been abundant, I've wanted different ways to cook it. We definitely have a more varied, interesting menu. Some of the vegetables aren't even available at supermarkets. I'm growing choy sum which I can only get at an Asian market an hour's drive away. Our favorite winter squash is Confection, maybe someone at a farmers market sells it. Love the taste, love its lengthy storage. The tomatoes are just starting to ripen and each plant is a different variety. The heirloom peppers aren't doing as well as last year but, again, the varieties aren't available at the store. I don't want to think about how much this has cost. But, our DIL who lives in our old house and didn't want any of my perennials decided to start a tiny vegetable garden this year and she started canning some terrific zucchini relish. She has ideas for a bigger garden next year. Our little granddaughters love going out to the garden. The 4yo is a fussy eater but last year discovered she loved the peas inside of sugar snap peas that had gotten a little big. The 6yo said orange cherry tomatoes are her favorite but is willing to settle for red until the others come in. I need to plant some blueberry bushes but I picked 10 pints at the PYO place and the girls were delighted to take some home with them. I love seeing them enjoy Good food. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I look at the garden and see it looking pretty good. The birds love sitting on the pea fences. Priceless.

Thanks, Dave! Maybe I will at least get some squash that is decent. I tend to collect seed, being as much curious as cheapskate. I also tend to keep seed too long, but it looks like some seed is forgiving. This year I tossed 9 yr old seed onto the bird table and front garden and was surprised to see a few dill plants and some sort of mustard-related green (probably from a mixed mesclun sort of packet. I wish I could find the yummy (?heirloom green-when-ripe tomato seeds that I carefully saved. I have a bunch of clematis seeds from two years ago (or last year) and read about how to sow large flower type clems (it can take up to three years? gasp. I just tossed some into one garden, but nothing so far -- the soil is dry and sandy there. I know that it is _not_ an easy way to get clematis plants, but I wondered what I'd get from a maybe Nelly Moser and maybe Anna Louise combo. I have them (in the wrong spot, my veggie garden) side by side on a garden fence. My garden in the back is a mish mosh of "holding area," experiment area and vegetable and flower garden. Long story.