Blooming Rose Musings: Pumpkins

*Note: I have never done a re-post before but I have been receiving several emails
asking about a previous post I had written about the heritage of different varieties
of pumpkins. So, I decided to re-post this from last year. If you are seeing this for
the first time I hope you enjoy it. And if you read this last year, I hope you enjoy it
...again! Oh, and this year I went with the blue/gray pumpkin..

**One more note: I published this post again 3 days ago but it never notified
people. I guess this is another blogger problem. Anyway, I will do a fresh new
post in a few days on an entirely different subject.

A couple of weeks ago I stopped at a local pumpkin patch and was amazed at the
available varieties of pumpkins. I loved just walking around and seeing all the new
and beautiful colors and shapes.

All of this got me to thinking...where did all the wonderful varieties come from?
I was surprised to find many came from France, Italy and Asia, as well as the
United States.

I thought I would just share the heritage of a few of the many varieties we are
now able to enjoy...

A pumpkin that has become very popular is what we call the Fairytale pumpkin.
But its true name is Musque de Provence. It is a mainstay of Southern France.
It is beautifully decorative and in Provence its sweet flesh is also sold in markets
for cooking, as well.

Another pumpkin that hails from France is the Rouge Vif d’Etamps. We refer to
it as the Cinderella pumpkin. It is a centuries old heirloom which was introduced
to this country in the late 1800’s. In France it is considered to be ideal for pies
and custards. It is a brighter orange than the Musque de Provence.

The French heirloom Galeux D’Eysines Pumpkin is a very popular variety

right now. I couldn’t resist this one. It has a beautifully warted exterior which is
a very soft muted buckskin color. I also understand it makes for a very delicious
pie.

The Blue Jarrahdale pumpkin comes all the way from Australia and is a beautiful
autumn decorative pumpkin. It is a bluish color on the outside but has a golden
orange stringless flesh. It is quite unique.

A pumpkin with Italian heritage is the Italian Marina di Chioggia. You

can probably tell from the name that it hails from the Italian seaside

province of Venice. In fact, they call it the Sea Pumpkin. It is

a rustic, bumpy turbin shaped green/blue with a sweet orange flesh.

A pumpkin with Japanese heritage is the Speckled Pup Pumpkin which

is part of the Japanese Kabocha pumpkin family. It really is quite beautiful.

Another Asian hybrid pumpkin is the Rare Frog Pumpkin. It is a mottled

green and orange which strongly resembles a frog. It adds to a unique

autumn decor. It is not recommended for carving.

Now here are a few well known American pumpkins...

The Sugar Pie Pumpkin is an heirloom from the 1800’s and is known

for it’s high quality stringless, sweet flesh for the ever so popular

pumpkin pies! It is also considered perfect for carving.

The Connecticut Field Pumpkin...

The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin...

The One Too Many Pumpkins...

The Lumina Pumpkin...

Well, these are just a few that I have found lately.

Do you have a favorite pumpkin?

I am joining Rose Vignettes for Fresh Cut Friday.

All of a sudden Autumn has fallen upon Southern California.

Many leaves have already left the branches...

And are resting on the ground...

I really don’t decorate for seasons. But now and then I do add a few things here and

there to add a little interest. Do you have a “Catch-all” table? Well, I do and it is

directly outside of my kitchen. I use it when I pull things out of the cupboards which

will be distributed later or to drop things at the end of the day.

As I mentioned in my last post I have had a bad cold and no energy whatsoever.
So, this year I gathered things and just put them on my “Catch-all” table until I had

more energy to distribute and add them to rooms. But a few days ago a friend called

and was on her way over for a visit. I really didn’t have time to move things around so

I just lit a couple of little candles. It looked very autumnal so I decided to show you my

“Catch-all” table and next time I will show you my softer autumnal lighter toned table.
Believe me, things never stay on the “Catch-all” table for long. When these items are
not together on one table they certainly do not look quite so fall-ish.

I love autumn and I love that we are heading to my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving.
I adore pumpkins and I always look for just the ones I want and I hope they last
through Thanksgiving. This year I enjoy the look of the Musque De Provence
pumpkin from France.