Buying seeds is always an exercise in optimism! There’s always next year…

Welcome! I should have linked the wiki but here you go: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalism

Edward Said’s Orientalism is a real slog to read, but definitely the foundational academic work on this, if your interest is piqued.

In a word: orientalism. This art movement was predicated on the exoticism and “othering” of subject matter and the bystanders serve as a proxy for the audience of the art itself.

I found another pic from Osborne Seed showing the color variations - will be exciting to see what color you’ve got! Sorry I can’t upload photos, it may be my instance or app bugging out.

https://www.osborneseed.com/products/cue-ball-f1-untreated-squash-seeds

To me it looks like a zucchini or squash. If it lengthens it could be a zucchini “Magda,” the color seems right. But I really think it’s a particular variety of squash (or a mutant) that is globular, called “cue ball.” I don’t know how to share a picture, so this link will have to do.

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/squash/summer-squash/cue-ball-f1-squash-seed-3359.html

The seed catalog I am looking at shows a light green, yellow, and dark green version. The dark green one is sometimes called “Eight Ball zucchini.” Light green is called “Cue Ball” and yellow is called “One Ball.” Curcubits cross pollinate routinely, so it could also be some sort of mutant - congrats on your cross breeding program! :)

No, but I think about it all the time!!! I’m not an engineer but if anyone does sketch or attempt it, please post it, we would love to see it!

The practice of deadheading is to prevent the plant from setting seed so that it keeps blooming…so by definition, probably not. Typically with annuals, the seed heads need time on the plant to develop into viable seeds and dry out enough. The flowers with petals still on will almost certainly not have viable seed. Some of the dried out brown ones on the bottom? Maybe! You can crack them open over a piece of paper and see what you get.

I have five new rose bushes in the mail right now!! I can’t wait to get them in the ground. I’ve been slowly adding a cut flower garden to what was once just a big hill full of weeds, and this year I think it will finally start looking more like what I envisioned with the roses coming in.

Her portfolio is incredible!!! Thank you for sharing this link. (And thanks OP for a new artist to follow!!)