The message
from Theo Markettos contains these words:

It's my first attempt at growing butternut squashes. I've been growing them
in the house from seed (from a fruit) and planted them outside a few weeks
ago. They're flowering, but what seems to happen is the flower opens for a
few days then shrivels up and drops off, leaving just the stalk
sticking up.
My limited knowledge of school biology suggests that they're going to have a
hard job of producing fruit if all the technical terms I can't remember at
the bottom of the flower that turn into fruit have fallen off. The leaves
towards the base of the plants are shrivelling from the edges too but I
assumed that the plant allows the base to shrivel so it can grow leaves at
the tip instead - it's whats has been happening when they were inside.
They're getting watered every few days.

Yes...

Is this normal? Is there any way to ensure my squashes go easy on the
guillotine in future?

Yes. The first flush of flowers are often male only - your plants are
probably practising.

Begin to worry if you don't get ant female flowers (with tiny squashes
behind them) in a fortnight or so. It's early yet.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
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