Produce Briefs...
White Corn
White corn is a sweet corn variety. Its ears are wrapped in tightly layered pale lime green to white husks. One ear of corn can contain up to 400 kernels growing in rows lengthwise.
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Rainbow chard, also known a 5-color silverbeet, is a tender chard variety with multi-colored stalks of yellow, white, orange pink and red.
Grower
Seasons/Availability
Beautiful ornamental gourds are available in the fall.
Description/Taste
Usually small, ornamental gourds may be no larger than an egg, or, commonly, are three to five inches long or round, and are rarely a foot in length. Available in various colors and shapes, these interesting gourds may have the shape of a bell, finger, orange, apple, ladle, spoon or an egg. The most unusual ornamental gourd is the "finger gourd" also called, "crown of the thorns", "gourd of the Ten Commandments" and "holy gourd". The upper surface of this gourd bears five pairs of protuberances, or prongs, and may be white or cream-colored at maturity. Other colors include green-and-white striped, orange, and bicolor, which is green and green-striped with bands or areas of yellow. Star gourds are consistent in having ten prominent ridges around their edge and resemble their namesake. A delightful collection of shapes, sizes, and colors, their surface may be warted, horned or smooth. Ornamental gourds are not edible as they have very little flesh and are grown mainly for show. The flesh they do contain is rather tasteless and may even be bitter.
Applications
These attractive and curious gourds make impressive decorations. Prized for fall decorating, a bowl filled with unique ornamental gourds makes an ideal colorful table centerpiece. Having practical value, these sensational-looking gourds can also be used as a darning egg for mending socks.
Geography/History
Gourds are placed in the distinct variety, Cucurbita pepo variety ovifera meaning "egg bearing". "Pepo" is a Latin word for the fruit of an edible melon and is generally used for any cucurbit. This name was originally given to them as a species by Linnaeus. Unlike many gourds, ornamental gourds are not edible. Ornamental gourds are truly domesticated plants as they are perpetuated by man. However, a similar gourd grows wild in parts of Texas that is recognized as a distinct species, Cucurbita texana, by botanists. This ornamental gourd differs very little in appearance but it grows on its own without the aid of man. Some claim that this wild Texas gourd is just an escaped ornamental gourd that reverted to a wild existence. Botanical evidence theorizes that cultivated squashes and pumpkins belonging to Cucurbita pepo were domesticated first in Mexico. The Texas gourd may have at one time been distributed from Mexico where it is now extinct and survives today only in Texas.
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Seasons/Availability
Beautiful ornamental gourds are available in the fall.
Description/Taste
Usually small, ornamental gourds may be no larger than an egg, or, commonly, are three to five inches long or round, and are rarely a foot in length. Available in various colors and shapes, these interesting gourds may have the shape of a bell, finger, orange, apple, ladle, spoon or an egg. The most unusual ornamental gourd is the "finger gourd" also called, "crown of the thorns", "gourd of the Ten Commandments" and "holy gourd". The upper surface of this gourd bears five pairs of protuberances, or prongs, and may be white or cream-colored at maturity. Other colors include green-and-white striped, orange, and bicolor, which is green and green-striped with bands or areas of yellow. Star gourds are consistent in having ten prominent ridges around their edge and resemble their namesake. A delightful collection of shapes, sizes, and colors, their surface may be warted, horned or smooth. Ornamental gourds are not edible as they have very little flesh and are grown mainly for show. The flesh they do contain is rather tasteless and may even be bitter.
Applications
These attractive and curious gourds make impressive decorations. Prized for fall decorating, a bowl filled with unique ornamental gourds makes an ideal colorful table centerpiece. Having practical value, these sensational-looking gourds can also be used as a darning egg for mending socks.
Geography/History
Gourds are placed in the distinct variety, Cucurbita pepo variety ovifera meaning "egg bearing". "Pepo" is a Latin word for the fruit of an edible melon and is generally used for any cucurbit. This name was originally given to them as a species by Linnaeus. Unlike many gourds, ornamental gourds are not edible. Ornamental gourds are truly domesticated plants as they are perpetuated by man. However, a similar gourd grows wild in parts of Texas that is recognized as a distinct species, Cucurbita texana, by botanists. This ornamental gourd differs very little in appearance but it grows on its own without the aid of man. Some claim that this wild Texas gourd is just an escaped ornamental gourd that reverted to a wild existence. Botanical evidence theorizes that cultivated squashes and pumpkins belonging to Cucurbita pepo were domesticated first in Mexico. The Texas gourd may have at one time been distributed from Mexico where it is now extinct and survives today only in Texas.
