What We Do With (Old) Pumpkins

Get this, we bury them, strategically, around the yard and woods… We really do! We have put them into the compost before but they take a long time to break down and we’ve been known to end up with crazy pumpkin plants coming up everywhere. So, we prefer to make a sport of choosing some good growing spots and plunking them into or sometimes, onto, the ground.

I love this white pumpkin. This one wasn’t carved this year because we  didn’t get all of them carved. It’s kind of a long story that involves the emergency room and stitches. We won’t go there today.


Michael and I worked together to clear off the front steps and load the wheelbarrow… (not barrel, barrow, thank you spell check!)

Winnie was helping us, he loves to help whenever he can!

Did I mention that it’s very cold here today… 38 minus the wind chill. The wind is blowing at 30 or 40 miles per hour… it’s cold!Hence, the lovely hat and scarf  🙂
We identified a spot for the white pumpkin on the hill leading to the woods… This gets a good amount of sun in the summer and the vines will have a place to spread out.Michael just dug a little hole and buried it in..
I helped him… we are a team after all!  Now, its good to go. In the spring the vines will come and if weather conditions are good and the bee population does it’s job, we’ll have lots of pumpkins from this. It may be run over by sledders all winter, but that’s okay. I think the kid activity actually helps things grow in a weird way… it’s just good energy!And the process is repeated with the hardy mums, they’ll likely re-emerge to enjoy next year. We just look for a good spot, plunk them in and see what happens…

Spring will be here before we know it! This gives us lots to look forward to all winter..

Stay safe and warm today!

Love, Michele (and Michael)

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Wow!! What squash can do!

Okay, maybe this is kind of a weird title, but it’s what came into my mind.  I have to show you these photos that Blaire sent me a week or so ago. Blaire always has her eye out for great gardens in the downtown and she sends me these interesting finds. This is in the courtyard of the House of Seven Gables Settlement house on Derby Street. I believe that the building, which was used as an after school program, camp and pre-school for many years, is kind of “in transition”.  It’s Caroline Emmerton‘s original settlement house and is owned by the Gables, as we Salemites refer to the House of Seven Gables.  Michael and I were out for dinner and a walk on Saturday night and of course I had to go see this. The vines are loaded with butternut squash. It looks to me like a few squash fruits might have been left on the ground last year with the plants emerging on their own and taking over the whole yard this year. Or maybe someone planted them purposely? No squash borers here! Isn’t nature amazing? 

Thanks for sharing these Blaire! Hope you all enjoy them and get off to a wonderful start to your week today!

Michele