Backyard Pumpkin Patch

As far back as I can remember, my dad has planted various plants every year in the north end of our backyard. My mom always refers to it as the "north 40 acres" in a joking way. My dad spent some of his years growing up in Nebraska before moving to Oregon, and there were lots of relatives who had farms.

In the 30+ years my parents have lived in their home, they've had apple trees, tomatoes, pumpkins, raspberries, and loads of flowers. The apple trees are long gone, but the back patch is always growing something. It keeps my dad busy, playing "farmer".

(That's my dad, standing in back of the main part of pumpkin patch, next to his tomato plants.)

Almost every year we've had a pumpkin patch. After Halloween is over, we toss the pumpkins we've carved or decorated out into the back. A few years we've planted some pumpkin seeds. The fun part is being surprised to see what we'll get the next year.

This year the pumpkin patch has EXPLODED with pumpkins! There are three huge sections of vines shooting off in every direction, with big fat pumpkins and little tiny pumpkins growing everywhere.

We've found that it doesn't matter where you get the seeds, if you buy pumpkin starts, or if you're using the best soil and fertilizer.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE WATER!

Pumpkins need a lot of watering, especially in the hot days of summer. Here in Oregon, we usually have a mild summer but there are some times when the temperatures spike over 100°F.

They key is to water enough. You don't want to over soak the pumpkin patch, as you can make the growing pumpkins rot. Experiment a little and find out just how much water you'll need to do where you're growing your pumpkins. Do you need to water in the evening or the early morning? You'll find it quickly.

Another tip is to pick out the biggest pumpkins and remove any little ones growing around them. You'll have fewer pumpkins, sure, but you'll help the big ones grow huge by harvest time!

Also, make sure you have plenty of room to grow pumpkins. Pumpkin vines can spread like crazy (we have three separate patches this year) so you might want to section off an area of your garden just for them. Some gardeners install little fences to keep the pumpkins in their own section.

This year is the first year we've had White Pumpkins!

You ask, 'what is a white pumpkin?' Well, it's the same as an orange pumpkin only it's white! Pumpkin growers have bred these natural albino ("albino" means marked deficiency in pigmentation) pumpkins and they've spread across the country in recent years.

There are several varieties of white pumpkins; Lumina, Cotton Candy or miniature Baby Boo. Last year we bought a Lumina from a road-side stand and decorated it for Halloween. My dad tossed it in the backyard patch after Halloween, and lo and behold we got pumpkins from the seeds!

My mom likes to call this little trio of pumpkins the "ostrich eggs", as they look just like the gigantic eggs of an ostrich!

We can't tell but we think this pumpkin might have a bit of an identity crisis!

Most people think of pumpkins as big and tall and round. But this pumpkin looks a lot more like a squash you'd find in the supermarket!

Pumpkins are members of the gourd family but this little guy sure has taken it to heart! When he first started growing, he looked no different then a cucumber! Only where he was planted gave away his true identity. When he began to change colors, he looked just like an over-sized banana! Now he's turned orange and we can't wait to see how long he'll be when we harvest the pumpkin patch!

Baked Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients
Seeds from a freshly carved pumpkin, cleaned and dried
Vegetable or olive oil or cooking spray
Salt
Seasonings such as garlic salt, Cajun spices, flavored salts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the seeds on the baking sheet in a single layer, turning to coat lightly with the spray or the oil. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds lightly with salt, if desired. Put the baking sheet in the oven and roast the pumpkin seeds for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once. Allow the pumpkin seeds to cool before eating. Sprinkle them with your favorite seasoning. Store leftovers in an air-tight container.