Our Own Pumpkin Patch

For the first time, I decided to try my hand at a garden over the summer. My mom bought some start ups from a teacher friend at Moorlands Elementary who was doing a class fundraiser. She gave them to Jonathan and he and I planted the garden over the summer. There were 7 pumpkin plants, 3 bean plants, and 2 squash plants. I managed to keep the garden alive for the most part. Unfortunately, I went away to Vancouver, B.C. and when I came back, the garden had caught powdry mildew. I did a lot of research and went to Molbacks to get some treatments. I didn't realize there was so much to growing a garden, but now I know. Water the garden in the morning instead of at night so the soil has time to dry out. Don't water during the hottest part of the day. Plants pumpkins spread apart so the plants have space to breathe. Don't plant the same thing in one spot year to year. There are male and female plants. The males don't grow fruit, the females do. I got a lot of pumpkins that started to grow, but then died. The landscapers also mowed through the branches that were sticking out of the garden, killing some, which we had a little talk with our landscaper about.

Next year, I plan to go to Molbacks and buy some good seeds or startups. I am also planning on expanding and Bob said he would buy me some planter boxes so I can grow more next year. I look forward to doing more research and planning. I would like to plant pumpkins again, long beans, and kale. I'll have to see what else I want to do. I also would have liked to plant some blueberry plants this year since they take a few years to really get going, but I guess that will have to start next year.

This year, I did get a few good pumpkins. One looks nice and round, one looks like a peanut, and one is still growing. These pics were taken in mid September.

Peanut Pumpkin

Nice and round. As you can see, the leave are dying due to the powdry mildew.

Still growing.

I am so excited to harvest these off when Halloween gets closer. Jonathan had a great time helpingme plant the garden and then helping me water the garden for a while. What a great mommy/son project! I stopped letting him after I started spraying the organic fungicide even though it is supposed to be safe.

-Dina