In culinary terms, both summer and winter squashes are generally considered as vegetables, even though botanically speaking, squashes are really fruits. Squashes are considered a fruit because the edible parts are really ripened ovaries, which arise and develop from a pollinated flower. In addition to the squash fruit itself, other parts of the plant are edible. Squash seeds can be roasted and eaten directly or ground into a paste or meal to create a type of "seed" butter, and even be used as flour. Certain cultivars, particularly the hulless pumpkins seed types, can be processed to create a type of vegetable oil. If harvested very young, even the leaves, shoots, and tendrils can be eaten as greens; however, the blossoms are the most often eaten part of the squash other than the squash fruit itself. Both the male and female blossoms can be harvested before they open, or just about mid-flower, before the bloom tissue begins to dry up or break down. Regardless, squashes are both eye-pleasing and edible, so quash the urge to say "yuck" and "squash" those taste buds with a cucurbit treat soon!

Joe Boggs, Dave Dyke, and other BYGLers noted that lots of lawn weeds were becoming very apparent in the landscape. Two of those were spurges, PROSTRATE SPURGE (E. prostrata) and SPOTTED SPURGE (E. maculata). The spurges are summer annual weeds that reproduce from seed each spring but are most noticeable in July, August, and September. They may be identified by their white, milky sap, small, oval leaves, and a taproot. They have an open and prostrate mat-forming growth habit and branch freely from the base. Their reddish or green prostrate stems form a mat-like growth which often chokes out desirable turfgrasses. They are commonly found growing in mulch, around the edges of a lawn next to curbs, driveways, sidewalks, and may be scattered through thinning, less vigorous turfgrass. Improving lawn care practices to encourage thicker grass cover will help control these weeds. The sap from both plants is a milky latex. Some people develop a rash after coming into contact with the sap. Plants can be easily pulled and bagged if the soil is moist. Be sure to wear gloves to prevent skin-contact with the sap.