The Pumpkins are Ready!

[WoodWitch]

The Pumpkin Patch

Today was the day we have been waiting for ~ our pumpkins were ready to harvest.  How something so simple and silly has given my little one so much joy.  Mason has checked on these miraculous orbs every morning since the first little one showed up on the vine.

I've been gardening for many years and oddly, never thought to grow my own pumpkins.  I have always gone off to the farmers market to pick out a perfect one.  Two years ago, somebody stole my perfect pumpkins right off my front steps two day before the big day.  We were heart broken.  But this year for the cost of about 79 cents we now have four simply perfect pumpkins.  When they are sitting in your garden you get to control the way they grow.  No flat sides, no imperfections. 

Had I done some research earlier, I would have made sure they got lots of water and fertilizer to make them much bigger.  I checked out the website of the crazy peeps who grow the huge 1000 pound pumpkins.  They had great advice about basic pumpkin growing.  Some of their advice was about cutting the vines and typical water consumption.  I checked them out to find out how to control the mildew issue I was having .  I learned that if you pick them while they are still green, you can get them to change color even off the vine.  Luckily, I was able to keep them on the vine long enough to get a beautiful shade of orange.

Now I am wiser and next year they will be even better!  So give it a try and with a little patience and enough room to roam, you too can have the perfect pumpkins!