You could start prepping your containers - putting drainage holes in them, for example, is much easier now if you are using a soldering iron - better to do it outside now than in winter, lol. I speak from cold experience! Even if you are not using a soldering iron, you can still make your holes, cut your containers if needed and/or put in ventilation holes as well if needed. You can start stocking up on potting mix and seeds as well. If you will be working in a dedicated area (basement, shed, etc.) you can set up your assembly line now. I work in the kitchen, so I have to set up (and put away) every time I sow. You can stock up on label supplies, tape, etc. too. Good luck! I know you will have a lot of fun! Dee

I am growing it for the first time, too. If picked young and small, you use it just like zucchini. (For neighbors who ask I call it my fake Italian zucchini.) If left on longer (too long?) it hardens like a winter squash. I plan to use it as a zucchini substitute.

https://www.cadth.ca/generic-drugs/similarities-and-differences-between-brand-name-and-generic-drugs "Bioequivalent drug formulations have the same bioavailability; that is, the same rate and extent of ABSORPTION.... There is a common misperception that generic drug concentrations can be 80% to 125% of the brand name formulation; in other words, that the variance may be up to 45%. This is not true. One of the key parameters for bioequivalence is the area under the curve (AUC). The AUC is a mathematical calculation based on a graph of blood concentration versus time, and it correlates well with total drug exposure. The AUC of a generic formulation must be no less than 80% or no more than 125% of the brand name formulation. There is international consensus that differences within this range are not clinically significant. More importantly, the 90% confidence interval of the AUC must also fall within 80% to 125%. Recall that the confidence interval is a range of measurements within which we can be confident that the true result lies. So, for the entire confidence interval to fall within the 80% to 125% range, the variance is generally less than 5%."

You have a lot of nice first-time bloomers. My top favorite is #19. I like the blue eyezone, the petal color, the white edging, and the lighter sepals. All of your purples are nice, but Number 17 is my favorite. I like the bluish purple watermark, the petal color and the double edge. Number 5 is my kind of red - round, with a watermark and ruffled outlined edge. I like 15 and 17 because of the colors and the white edges and the watermarks. Numbers 1 and 8 are appealing too. A very nice group of seedlings! Debra