This was my first year to grow winter squash and Brussel Sprouts. Of course, your first year growing anything is always a learning experience. One of the winter squash I grew is called Long Pie Pumpkin. Sooooo cool . I really loved this one. It has a very interesting history and I love how it is long like a zuchinni. It has been said that it came originally from the Isle of St. George in the Azores and been brought to Nantucket in 1832 on a whaling ship. Sometimes known as the Nantucket Pumpkin or the Maine Pumpkin. It grows anywhere from 4-7 lbs. You know it's ready to pick when there develops an orange stripe or spot where it is in contact with the ground, as you can see in my photo. You pick and put in storage and it will turn a bright orange all over in a period of weeks and months. I made my Thanksgiving pies with it and it was seriously the best pumpkin pie I have ever eaten. The flesh is almost 90% stringless so no need for a food mill.
If you're looking to grow just one winter squash next year,here's the winner. You have to try it.
The other newbie for me was Brussel Sprouts. I bought already established plants at the nursery. My variety was called Bubbles. I loved growing them. So pretty. You definitely need to stake them. As they get weighted down with sprouts they will lean. I put mine a little too close together, so another lesson, space them out. We ate them for Thanksgiving dinner and I also froze tons of them for the winter. Not a real time consuming vegetable in the garden so for those that don't like fussy veggies, this is a good one.