An ode to Zephyr

Zephyr is tall and lush, her hair hangs out in big green lobes of vegetative health. Her fruit is long and lean with a delicate yellow body and a sweet green tip. Her babies come in fast and keep coming for weeks, and weeks, and weeks. The flesh of her fruit is tender and delicate with a subtle sweetness. As a mother Zephyr hangs tough when the other squash bend to the Virginia disease cycle. She's not an automatic target for the stripped cucumbers beetles or the squash bugs. Zephyr is sturdy, bodacious, prolific, and a beauty to behold.  

I fell in love with Zephyr picking and eating her sweet fruit in Maine last year but I have doubled down on my affection watching her thrive down here in the muggy, buggy south. 

There is almost nothing as satisfying to grow as a healthy summer squash. The fruit of your labor is so quickly and obviously realized as the plants shoot up and leaf out. They are BIG and luscious in a way that few other vegetable crops can rival. 

So yes, I know everyone gets sick of squash as the season wears on and they just keep coming and coming. But before that feeling sets in, I just wanted to take this little moment to pay homage to one of the most beautiful, healthy, and productive plants out there. Thank you Ms. Zephyr!