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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

It's Pumpkin Patch Time!


Once again the giant orange squash has has it's day in the sun.  Pumpkins grow well in our climate and during the fall in these parts, pumpkin patches seem nearly as numerous as Starbucks Shops. (Starbuckses?)  The sight of pumpkins ripening in fields and home gardens still fills me with glee.  Even the sight of piles of them outside of grocery stores elicits warm feelings.   We visited a pumpkin patch in early October and  it was already teeming with equally orange-obsessed folks enjoying the crisp autumn air.

My Gourd, What a Morning.


 "My Sweet Gourd"




How can one be gloomy with so many vibrant colors, interesting shapes, the fullness of autumn?

Pretty and edible!




The pumpkin patch is often a last hurrah for farms that open around strawberry time in June, sell seasonal berries through the summer, peaches, tomatoes,  pears, apples, etc. and finally all manner of winter squash and corn.

Seems like they get more and more elaborate each year with all sorts of activities and various food trucks/booths.  Many are like small county fairs.

Don't be frightened, 



These cute costumed kids always make me chuckle. 


It's a Victorian diamond in the rough according to the real estate agent...

I feel fortunate to live in a city that's only a fifteen-minute drive from farmland.  Unfortunately, it's rapidly being paved and replaced with industrial buildings.


What?  Yes, even here.  I must admit, there's no messy clean up after the season is over, just some bubble wrap, a box, and away they go for another year.

Enjoy your shining moment little squash for, all too soon, it'll come to an end. 

16 comments:

  1. Love all the pumpkins etc. with those long curving stems. We can also quickly get into the country outside of Madison. Our county has some of the best farmland in the state and is also one of the fastest growing areas. Constantly seeing farms being developed into houses with 3-car garages. I wonder if most people have a clue as to where their food comes from.

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  2. Oh My Gourd, you are killing me, Peter.
    I Love all that orange; such a happy color to cheer us on. In one of the pictures there are pumpkins that look like acorns... amazing.

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  3. You silly punster! Was this Spooner in Puyallup? I've been there at berry-picking time, but I've never been in the fall. It looks like they have some cool stuff inside the little shop. I'm a sucker for Halloween decor. And all those jars of jams and preserves look yummy.

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    1. It was Spooner in Puyallup & the shop has all sorts of fun things.

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  4. Looks like a fun day was had by all!

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  5. I love pumpkins and squashes. Unfortunately, so do the squirrels. for them, it might as well be Christmas!

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  6. Wonderful pumpkin pictures! I like this decoration together with chrysanthemums. Close to our town is also a little pumpkin farm. They sell all different kinds of pumpkins now. In the last maybe 15 years Halloween became more popular in my country. Especially young people like to celebrate it. But only this year it has to compete with a Christian holiday - 500 years reformation.

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  7. It seems like it was a good squash year, even with the relatively dry summer? We all know that the PNW is the reason that "pumpkin spice" is taking over every type of food stuffs. Still, a pile of pumpkins is pretty perfect. ;)

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  8. No Halloween celebrations in my country but I love all the paraphernalia I see here! absolutely cute!

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  9. Wonderful! I loved the music and the "sweet gourds" and the cute stuff, and the ORANGE!

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  10. I enjoyed your ode to the pumpkin. It tis the season.

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  11. That must be a sight to see. New England seems so staid next to the PNW! I think those little figurines are charming, do you know the artist's name?

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    1. There must be an artist who originally created these but the label says "Made in China." At least a couple of local places carry these each year.

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  12. I do love a good pumpkin patch. But more importantly, it's pumpkin pie time!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.