I love Halloween Jack o' Lanterns and the annual task of carving at least one up. Sometimes it is a simple traditional with holes for eyes and a jagged smirk. But lately I have been upping the artistic ante and spending a good couple of hours with razor cutters and a good digital pattern. With patience and a good candle it is amazing how they look at night.
When working at the garden center, I was also drawn to the incredible variety of heirloom pumpkins that come out in unique shapes and colors. Cinderella, Jarrahdale, Seminole.. so many to choose from in blues to bright reds. Box stores will carry at least a few, but high end garden centers will have much to offer - usually sold by the pound. So they can get expensive.
But this is a new option for me. Jim Seamons, a farmer in Utah gets creative and has created a poly plastic mold that is bolted to a young pumpkin and allows it to grow into an uncanny face of Frankenstein. His tutorial video attached at the bottom of this post, makes it look quite easy with some good tips to allow both air and sun to get to the infant fruit while growing. I would think it also keeps away pesky rodents from eating the gourd just as it is getting ready to harvest. According to his video, it takes merely 5-7 days to fill out which seems short to me. But maybe it is also hard to grasp the size from the video and they must be small if nothing else. That is likely why they stay green, although some pics show them as the bright orange we think of as a pumpkin. I am sure it depends on variety grown.
They are a bit elusive to track down on line without a single designated seller. The price is steep, but I am sure they are quality enough to last from year to year. I am not growing any pumpkin crop myself, but would love to see how they play out if any of my tag list are growing them and adventurous enough to try them. I think they are innovative gardening.
