Squash Blossoms Dropping With No Fruit?

During my shifts in the Ada County Master Gardener lab this year, there have been many questions about squash plants dropping blossoms without bearing fruit. We have had an unusually hot, dry summer, but the reason is more likely the difference between "boys" and "girls." On the left is a male blossom. A female blossom is on the right. The female blossoms have a bulging at the bottom - that's the possibility of baby fruit. Male blossoms do not produce fruit. There are other difference inside the flower structure, just like human boys and girls ;)

See the male and female cucumber examples below.

Tomato Cages and a Cucumber Ladder

The garden beds are all ready. I have room for 10 tomato plants in the cages. The last photo is a new structure - made from old pieces of metal, spray-painted pink. I'm going to try cucumbers on that one.

Cucumber Babies

Finally got some plants in the ground...if all goes well, we will be eating cucumbers by late July.