Pumpkins and spinach

Last week, we spent a lot of time in the garden, pulling up weeds -- mostly sedge.  For a large swath, we went through and dug a huge hole, and then sifted through the dirt, pulling out any sedge.  Hopefully this will make a dent in the weeds in our garden.

With the now clear spots, I went to Natural Gardener, thinking I cold put in some sweet potatoes and tomatoes.  The salesperson there said i was too late for sweet potatoes :o( and then gave me such detailed instructions on how to baby the tomatoes through the summer, that I fled in fear :o)

She did recommend a variety of warm weather spinach, that seemed easy enough, and I picked up some pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkins
They say to plant Halloween pumpkins on July 4th.  I've tried this before, never to any luck, but I thought I'd try again.  I bought three different varieties.

Renee's Garden Carving & Pie Pumpkins: SpookieThree different mounds of these

Crayon color: red

Days to germinate: 7 - 10 (July 15 - 17)
Days to harvest: Approx 85 - 90 (Oct 8 )

Renee's Garden Baby Pumpkins: Mini Jack
Two different mounds of these

Crayon color: yellow and orange

Days to germinate: 7 - 10

Days to harvest:  80 - 85 (Oct 1)

Renee's Garden Pumpkin: Big Max
One mound

Blue crayon

Days to germinate: 7 - 14 days (July 15 - 21)

Days to harvest: 120 (Nov 8th)

Spinach
I had such luck with the lettuce I planted in the winter, that I thought I'd go ahead an try this.  That and I had just spent a couple bucks buying baby spinach at the grocery, so i thought, hey, why not ;o) 

Variety: New Zealand Spinach from lonestarnursery.com.  Very old heirloom.  Tropically perennial/temperately annual.  Does not bolt in hot weather.  High vitamin C: 60 days