When Stinker the Pumpkin grows up...

Check out this link...http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/10/03/pumped_up/?s_campaign=8315

So Stinker may never get to be this big...but its something to aspire to. I still need to take a picture of Stinker to post here. I can't believe they said in the article that pumpkins can grow up to 30 pounds in a day!! I'd be lucky if Stinker packed on a couple of ounces. I think I'll start shading Stinker, though and see if that helps. The birds haven't been back, so that's good. The leaves are looking better.

Wonder how big Stinker will get...

Pumpkin Suprise!!

While I wasn't looking...a new little pumpkin sprouted! My husband noticed it yesterday and I rushed out to find it. It's actually bigger than the other one when it went to visit the Great Pumpkin in the sky. I don't know how this little stinker snuck past me. I was just out there the other day weeding, fertilizing and doing some yard work. I never noticed it.

I think I'll name it Stinker. I've heard that if you name a wayward pet, it'll never leave you alone. Think that'll work with a pumpkin? Maybe it'll actually stick around. I can only hope! I'll fertilize tomorrow. If it's not 98 degrees again.

Pumpkin Update...sad news

Sadly, our one hope for a pumpkin this year fell off the vine this morning. sniff, sniff. The bottom was rotted out and it had black spots on it. sniff, sniff. It didn't get much bigger than a tennis ball and even that's being generous. Now, we have to hope and pray for the best with the 5 little buds that are stil there. I told the kids just last night that we could let the pumpkins go until Thanksgiving to see how big they got. I didn't tell them Thanksgiving of what year. Could be '09 or '11 at this rate. Its not like we have to worry about frost here, folks.

So the vines keep growing and producing these beautiful flowers. But sadly, our pumpkins aren't taking to life in our little town.

I heard a blurb on the news last night about growing lettuce. After paying $1.49 for a really little, lame head of lettuce yesterday, maybe I'll give that a try. I have to be able to grow something besides pink geraniums and silk plants.

Pumpkin Update...

I finally got some pictures of the pumpkins! For reference purposes, I've compared it to a golf ball. I'll keep using a golf ball so we can track the progress. I've been fertilizing about every 2-3 days. Its been really hot during the day, so I think I'm going to put our soccer umbrella up so the leaves don't get so droopy during the day.

I'll post a new pic in about a week so we can see how its grown.

Now...what should we name it?

Big Pumpkins!

A co-worker of my DH's gave us some seeds from his ginormous (is that a word?) pumpkin from last year. We got the area all ready, fertilized it, added some good soil and planted the seeds. About a week later, there were little sprouts! For a long time, we just had big leaves, then some vines, then some flowers...now we FINALLY have a little pumpkin! It's about the size of a ping pong ball right now, and hopefully growing everyday. Keep in mind that we planted these things in June. It took long enough to get one little guy, now were worried that we won't have a normal sized pumpking in time for Halloween. I'll probably end up buying them again this year.

That would kill me though. Last year, I took my two peanuts to a pumpkin patch. "Have at it!" I said, turning them loose! "Pick out your favorite!!" I grabbed the little wheelbarrow and followed them around until they picked the perfect gourds. Peanut #1 picked a pretty good sized one. Peanut #2's was a little smaller. I picked a nice medium sized one for the front porch. We proudly wheeled them to the cash register. The lady took one look a them and said, "That'll be $65.00".
Huh?
Seriously?
Really now, for 3 pumpkins?
I could get two really nice pairs of shoes at Steinmart for $65. I could get a haircut for $65. I could get a mani-pedi for $65. When in doubt or in a precarious situation, blame Dad.
"Wow," I said. "Kids, Daddy will have a heart attack if I tell him we spent $65 on pumpkins. Whaddy say we go to Albertson's and look through the $10 bin in front of the store?" I said this so the lady would hear me. It was, after all, the day before Halloween. What else was she going to do with a field full of pumpkins on November 1st? They should have been on sale like all the other Halloween decorations at Michaels and Target. Luckily, the Peanuts agreed with me and we went to the grocery store to get our pumpkins.

Did I mention that while we were at the Saks of Pumpkin Patches, I got some great fall pics?! Ha! on you, Lady!!

Anyways, DH was talking to the seed guy last week about the proper care of pumpkins. Turns out the guy put down 4 feet of manure before planting the seeds. Holding back on us isn't cool, man! We're rookies here and he's laughing while we struggle! Now we know. I guess he didn't want anyone to show him up. Now I'm fertilizing about every other day. I'll post pics as the ping pong ball turns into a bowling ball, and hopefully into one of those big rubber work out balls!