Little French Pumpkins

We harvested the little Potimarron pumpkins back in autumn, of course; an old French variety. The biggest is barely 1.2kg, perfect for roasting, skin and all; just right for one meal.

They grew amongst the Warrigal greens (Tetragonia), an edible native groundcover that the hens love to devour.

We also grew butternut pumpkins and an odd variety, with little ribbed fruit, and mottled skin of green and yellow, more attractive than it sounds. (They are from one I bought at the shops for its looks last year, and after eating collected the seeds. This year the seed-sowing resulted in 3 fruit. `But how does it taste?' people ask. I don't remember...but the new ones look very pretty on my kitchen table.)

But now that I'm having so much pleasure creating little colour symphonies in my veg beds - imagine growing these Potimarron pumpkins in the warm months.

The colour contrasts.

And they don't need peeling!

I think I've just found my favourite pumpkin. 

Jill Weatherhead is horticulturist, writer, garden designer and principal at Jill Weatherhead Garden Design who lives in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne, and works throughout Victoria (www.jillweatherheadgardendesign.com.au)