Nick Maclaren wrote:

In the UK, Cucubita pepo is the only one that ripens even moderately
reliably. C. maxima (hubbards, crown prince etc.) does in some places
in most years, and C. moschata (butternut) is trickier still. The
others are pretty well hopeless, because we don't get enough autumn
daylight.

Interesting - perhaps I should try something like crown prince next
year. Last year, after I took in my neglected butternuts, I didn't get
round to doing anything with them and they hung around in the kitchen
until March staring at me. I didn't have high hopes - half expecting
them to be rotten - but I was amazed how delicious they were roasted.

So I got blazee and picked one this year in August - thinking it would
be just as good after the summer we had. It seemed ripe enough, but I
was really disappointed how tasteless it was.

Peter