Pretty as a Pumpkin …
Things that Grow Bumps in the Night: White, Cream and Shadow Blue, I Love Growing Pumpkins, Squash & Gourds, Warts & All (Front and Center to Back: Baby Boo Pumpkin, Gourds & Jarrahdale Pumpkin)
Could There be a More Charming Chariot than Cinderella’s Pumpkin (Rouge Vif d’Etampes)
Tiny, Ghostly Gourds & Jarrahdale Pumpkin
One of my favorite fall traditions is gathering gourds, squash and pumpkins from the garden and scattering them around my front door. Of course, I can never stop at the stoop. I always arrange groups of gourds atop the dining table, kitchen counter and here and there all about the house. Blue Hubbard Squash, Cinderella or “Rouge Vif D’Etampes” pumpkins, lumpy-bumpy green, orange and ghostly white gourds, as well as phantom-white “Spooktacular’ and “Baby Boo”, and “Mini Jack” pumpkins always delight my tiniest studio visitors. Some other dramatic-looking favorites include ghoulish-grey “Jarrahdale”, warty “Marina di Chioggia”, “Musque de Provence” and froggy-skinned “Bliss”. Â For All Hallow’s Eve, who can resist a traditional, bright-orange or freakishly white-skinned, glowing Jack-o-Lantern?Â
Favorite Fall Traditions: Pumpkins & Squash, Gathered from the Garden and Scattered Around the Front Door. This year’s cast of lumpy, bumpy pumpkins, scary squash and ghastly gourds were grown from  Renee’s Garden Seeds and Johnny’s Selected Seeds.Â
For Jack-o-Lantern carving, I’m still partial to traditional orange pumpkin varieties, though I do have a soft spot for small, white “Spooktacular” (Photo from last year’s Halloween Special: click here, if you dare!)
The Gardener’s Eden is not an affiliate of Renee’s Garden Seeds or Johnny’s Selected Seeds, but Michaela is a long time, happy customer of both companies.
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7 Replies to “Pretty as a Pumpkin …”
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Wow! What beautiful gourds! We found you through Renée’s Facebook Page!
Hi Michaela, Thanks for the great play on words (I love doing a verbal double-take; ) they do too, you probably know, grow bumps in the night, I mean. And for those drop-dead gorgeous Dahlias. Happy, Happy Hallowe’en!
BTW, I absolutely love the contrasts between white pumpkin’s ghostly cool, smooth skin, carved deeply into Lumina’s rich, moist orange flesh. Ghoulishly delicious… Mwa,ha,ha,ha,haaa! xo D
@ Den Mother – Welcome, and thank you! Also thanks so much for letting me know about the post on Renee’s Garden’s FB page. I missed that! Love Renee’s Seeds, and her cookbooks as well!
xo M
@ Deb – ;) Glad you caught that one (not sure anyone else noticed yet?). Happy Halloween to you as well (of course, my favorite holiday). Thanks to the mild temps, so far, my Darling Dahlias are still blooming. Karma Choc is just spectacular this year (love the deep maroon with the orange of the pumpkins). Mmmm. ;) xo M
You’re probably wondering what the ? Have you ever grown Lumina?
Karma Chocolate – that must be the kind you really deserve – my taste-buds run wild…
Thinking of baking up some blondies and brownies instead of store-bought for Hallowe’en. What treats do you like on All Hallow’s Eve?
Oh, Lumina! No, I have not grown them, but mostly due to the fact that the seed always seem to be sold out. That is a GREAT pumpkin.
As for treats, I absolutely adore classic caramel apples-on-a-stick, and of course rice crispy treats. But I have been known to hand out bags of gummy worms and bugs on occasion. Still, I think my favorite treat is chocolate fudge (made from melted semi sweet chocolate morsels) with walnuts and fake flies. Mmmm. Are blondies and brownies your favorites? :) Happy Haunting! xo M
Oh say, does your fudge recipe also have mini marshmallows in it? There’s a recipe for “5 Minute Fudge” in my first ever (Betty Crocker Kids) cookbook that I’ve been making for a treat at Christmas for, well let’s just say a REALLY long time; ) LOVE your Hallowe’en/fake fly twist! That would make a good addition to the baked goods too… Hm,mm just a dab of icing (vanilla cream and satin chocolate) with a buggy garnish. Thanks for the great idea!
Sadly they aren’t my favourite for the 31st. That would definitely be the Candy Apples that we (used to) get from our neighbours across the valley. The one night of the year that I was a kid again, good health didn’t even enter the picture and red food colouring be damned! xo D