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Zucchini is a summer squash. Also called a courgette in New Zealand, its scientific name is Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini originates in the Americas, though most people associate it with European dishes. It was introduced to Europe in the late 1900s and quickly became quite the vogue ingredient in French and Italian dishes. It is cucumber shaped and can be greenish yellow to a deeper green in color. Even though most people consider it a vegetable, like tomatoes, squash is actually a fruit. Common garden varieties include Black Zucchini, Black Beauty, Cocozelle and Vegetable Marrow White Bush. Zucchini thrives in a soil with a ph of 5.8-6.8 that is high in fertile organic content. Unlike its sprawling cousin the pumpkin, it grows in a tight bushy vine. Summer squash naturally likes warm soil of at least 70 degrees and is highly susceptible to frost. Therefore make sure the last frost has come and gone before planting the seeds in mounds of loose soil. If you plant seeds, put 3-4 in each hill and space them 3-4 feet apart. When the plants get to be about 3 inches high, thin them to two per hill. You can begin the seeds indoors then transplant them in the garden once warm weather comes