WINTER LUXURY PUMPKIN SEEDS

Cucurbita pepo

An elegant old pumpkin that is miraculously suitable for both carving and pie.

Introduced in 1893 by Johnson & Stokes as Winter Luxury, and again in 1894 as Livingston’s Pie Squash by A.W. Livingston’s Sons. In 1918, the virtues of this selection were extolled in ‘Home Vegetable Gardening from A to Z' by Adolph Kruhm (pictured), but it fell out of favor for decades until Amy Goldman featured it in her beautiful book, ‘The Compleat Squash'.

Uniformly round pale orange pumpkins are delicately netted, a trait common in other cucurbits, but one which has otherwise been bred out of squash. This quality causes them to have an exquisitely blurred appearance. They are fabulously decorative. And besides being pretty to look at, the flesh of these pumpkins is fine and sweet and makes an excellent pie. If you're not into the whole pie thing, seeded fruits may simply be cut into palm-sized portions, dowsed in walnut oil, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and roasted flesh-side up in a hot oven. So good with a glass of cider or Calvados.

Pumpkins average around 6 pounds, enough for a pair of pies or a small Jack-o'-Lantern. Vines need fertile soil, lots of sun and plenty of space to produce high-quality fruits. Ready to harvest in about 90 days. Where seasons are short or cool, start indoors around 4 weeks before the last spring frost and harden off thoroughly before carefully transplanting into the garden. Mulch heavily and gently wrap stem with foil or florists tape if you have squash vine borers.

In spite of the name, these pumpkins rarely last the winter. Enjoy them in autumn.

Packet contains at least 30 seeds.