Patty-pan squash

The Patty-pan squash is allegedly a Summer squash (closely related to the Courgette / Zucchini), though mine has refused to acknowledge this. It has sulked, morose and unproductive, for the last N months. Every single embryonic fruit produced by the female flowers has aborted - even the ones which I hand-pollinated. But now that Autumn is unquestionably with us, the plant has decided that it will after all bear some fruit: two, in fact. I believe it has aspirations to become a Winter squash!

There has been no shortage of flowers, but they have all come to nothing until now.

Well, I'm going to try not to be over-optimistic, because the pair are little more than 2 inches in diameter right now, and they may never make it to maturity.

They do look good though - like tiny yellow "flying saucers"! Actually their name comes from the type of pan with scalloped edges in which patties were traditionally made.

I suppose that even if I never get a crop from this plant I have to admit that it has at least provided me with a few photo opportunities!