The Rest of the Story

Cinderella pumpkin, from a volunteer seed in a composted pile, took over the NW corner of the garden and thrived all spring and into the summer.

Cucuzza, parte due

Santi had to prove to me that his '03 Illinois-grown cucuzza was a record-breaker. He eventually had to dig a hole for the far left plant so that it could grow another 1.5 feet (the pergola was about 9').

Three cheers for vaulted ceilings!

Hot water, cool brew

Jim and Friends install irrigation on a Friday night.

Cucuzza Santi

This gourd, which tastes and looks more like the squash commonly known as zucchini, is "Sicilian cucuzza". It grows on a downy-soft vine that seems to love the desert heat. But the truly delightful feature is that cucuzza is Italian for "crazy". Now, that's cucuzza, man.