I gave growing from seeds a try for the first time this year, in Alaska. I started in April under grow lights. Here’s how one crop went.
My favorite crop this season was BY FAR zucchini (don’t tell the radishes). They quickly and easily progressed from a single large seed (that I could see without a microscope – I’m looking at you mint) to an adolescent plant with big happy green leaves relatively quickly! This was a great confidence boost as a beginner gardener. I watched with excitement as each leaf popped out, and eventually the first blossom buds started to form.
Where do squash babies come from?
Male squash flowers 
Female squash flower
Once I got blossoms, I was informed that if I was growing them inside (yes, it was not warm enough yet for them to move outside) I would need to pollenate them. Turns out there are male and female squash blossoms, and without pollenators the gardener must don a bumble bee costume and do the dirty work herself (edit – turns out the bumble bee costume is not a requirement, the squash cannot tell the difference), transferring pollen from male blossoms to female blossoms. If the blossoms are not pollenated, the fruit will grow a little bit, then stop and fall off before maturing.
One lesson learned from this is that timing is tricky. Often there were too many ladies and no men around (am I right ladies?), or vice versa. Blossoms are only open and viable for about a day, so not having hetero pairs became a problem. As a result, I’d say having multiple plants is key to increase likelihood of available partners.
Growing up
Just watch these babies grow.
Harvest
Behold the bounty:
Squash blossoms 
Squash blossom soup 
First zucchini 
First zucchini 
Big kahuna in progress 
Rot problems – this happened to several. Not sure if it was related to pollenation. 
Different sizes and stages 
Hand for scale
The big kahuna
… and finally, behold my biggest most beautiful zucchini child:
I harvested this big boy this week, and as I’m moving out of town next week, zucchini season is officially over! it’s just as well since the weather has decided it is autumn, and I think growth is slowing down all around the garden at this point.
ROAD TRIP 