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Gracie Lee’s Spaceship Squash

April 7, 2016 By Talya Tate Boerner

Gracie Lee and the Spaceship SquashWhen Gracie Lee’s Momma let the girls buy seed packets at Savage Crossing Hardware, Gracie Lee chose spaceship squash for obvious reasons—the squash looked like a flying saucer and flying saucers were intriguing. The variety was really called patty pan squash. The odd name caught her attention too.

Spaceship (Patty Pan) squash

Patty pan squash is a “bush” squash meaning is doesn’t vine like other squash varieties, but grows in more of a bush shape. I’m excited to grow it this summer in the back of my yard where the sun blazes for hours. Cooking Light has some amazing recipes using this particular squash variety. The nutritional value alone should be enough to get anyone interested in it. One cup of patty pan squash is loaded with 43% of your daily Vitamin C requirement, 5 grams of fiber, and no cholesterol. Boom. All that for only 38 calories…

They look like pumpkin seeds, don’t you think? But they aren’t. Continue Reading

Craft: Seed Packet Party Favor

March 25, 2016 By Talya Tate Boerner

We southern girls are all about the party favor, am I right? The way I see it, if people will go to the trouble of coming to one of my book signings, they won’t be leaving empty handed. So in keeping with the whole GraceGritsGarden theme, I’ve been making seed packets for my next book signing in Little Rock. If you live in the area, I hope you’ll plan to join me at WordsWorth Books on Saturday, April 2 from 3:00 – 4:30. And if you do, you’ll leave with one of these little seed packets.

making seed packets

CuteCuteCute, if I do say so.Continue Reading

This is how it starts, the happiness of spring. ???

March 24, 2016 By Talya Tate Boerner

Spring has sprung in my garden and I’m feeling the happiness of spring. I worried about my tulips when our temperature plunged to a rude 25 degrees a few days ago, but bulbs are hardy and they were unfazed. Last night we had wicked weather and I spent some time in my safe place. I felt a little silly sitting in the closet with my purse but with “TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY” warnings blasting through my phone and television and tornado sirens wailing in the neighborhood, I decided I’d feel even sillier when I woke up dead.

Lucy and Annabelle wanted nothing to do with holing up in the closet. I see regular tornado drills in our future.

Luckily, we survived. Our flowers survived. I pray everyone else did because it seemed to be a severe storm. Maybe it blew the crazy March winds out of here…

So back to spring.

Check out this daffodil. What a gorgeous surprise. It bloomed from a bag of bulbs labeled mixed yellow varieties.

daffodil

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of:

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Why a Rainy Day Is the Best Time to Visit a Botanical Garden
  • Happy Birthday, Theo Gruene!
  • Sunday Letter~ 05.17.26
  • Sunday Letter: 03.29.26
  • Sunday Letter: February 22, 2026

Novels:

Coloring Books:

Fiction-Themed Coloring Books

Backyard Phenology:

Children’s Nature Book:

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