"I could do that."
Did you ever think that to
yourself as you stood amidst the
horticulture displays at your
local fair and pondered the
impressive results of some green
thumber's careful cultivation
and coddling of pumpkins?
Well, I have. And I bet some
of you have, too.
After all, at our local York
Fair, giant pumpkins that win
the top prize command premi
ums of one buck per pound. And
on a several hundred pound
Jack-O-Lantem candidate, find
ing the trick to growing a blue
ribbon winner could prove to be
a real treat to your gardening
fund.
Thus, a few years ago, and
armed with some advice from
some local champion pumpkin
growers, I ordered up my seed
packet of Dill's Atlantic Giants.
We have a no-man's-land space
between two bams, blessed with
protection from frost, several
hours of sun and rich, organic,
once-manure soil that grabs and
hold moisture.
What better place to cultivate
a prize-winner?
And so it came to be that the
thick, ankle-tangling foliage
that fall began to show orange
orbs in late summer, some of
them pretty impressive in size.
But, not a York Fair winner, for
sure. Of that I was certain. So
the pumpkin remained to finish
ripening - since they had gotten
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a late start- beyond the pump
kin show season. And, in due
time, I arrived home late one
night from a two-day meeting to
stumble onto a front porch piled
full of pumpkins. The Farmer
had enlisted the help of a
cousin's youngsters for the'har
vest.
Some were given away, one or
two became baking ingredients
and the great, orange giant
remained on the porch as a sea
sonal ornament. Then one night
late in the year it turned very
much colder than expected; by
morning, we were well on our
way to having a giant, orange
puddle of pumpkin mush oozing
across the front porch.
A good quantity of the large,
fiat seeds were salvaged and
stored in the refrigerator. Some
were shared with interested
friends.
Last spring about this time,
only one of the several -pea-pots
filled with sterilized soil and
planted with the giant pumpkin
seeds had germinated. I careful
ly coddled it, figuring I would
put more seeds into the ground
when it was planted, hopefully
to grow other vines and ulti
mately have some for cross ger
mination. One evening in May, I
carefully planted the single pot
of giant pumpkin potential,
along with more of the saved
seeds, as well as started plants
and Seeds of some smaller types.
That night, the heifers in the
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pen next to the barn escaped
and ran rampant through the
pumpkin planting. I don't think
they did that another night last
summer.
OK, OK. I surrendered. If
there were to be no pumpkins
between the bams last season,
we would just have to live with
it. Then our El Nino drought set
in- and hardly anyone had local
pumpkins last season.
Nevertheless, there were still a
couple hundred-pounders
painstakingly cultivated around
the area, carefully and faithfully
watered all summer. But not
nearly as many as in previous
years, based on the fair's giant
pumpkin competition.
Now, it's time again.
Actually, it's probably past time
and the veterans no doubt have
their plants started and growing
happily under lights. So I'm
behind before I begin.
Nevertheless, seeds are start
ed in sterile-soil-filled pea pots,
black plastic will go down for
warmth and weed control and
this die-hard will try once more.
Prize winning is not the end
goal.
The end goal is to watch them
grow - and the light they spark
in the eyes of a youngster cart
ing off the fruits of the pumpkin
vine. But you have to start by
planting them. Now.
It's time, folks, to think
fall....harvest....pumpkins. Even
if you don't get a prizewinner,
it'll be fun to watch them grow.
And you might make some
little kids very happy with your
efforts.
M^,junes
Museum Opens
On Mother’s Day
MUMFORD, N.Y. - On
Mother's Day Weekend,
Genessee Country Village &
Museum, the third-largest col
lection of historic buildings in
the country opens for its 23 rd
season.
All moms receive free admis
sion to the museum on Mother's
Day, May 10.
A special Mother's Day
Brunch will be served from 10
a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Reservations
are required. Call (716) 538-
6822.
Expert museum gardeners
will lead guided tours through
the more than a dozen heirloom
gardens located in the Historic
Village.
The "Wildflowers of Spring"
celebration features special
activities at Genesee Country
Nature Center including a guid
ed woodland walk, garden tour,
instruction in planting and
propagating native wildflowers
and a variety of children's activ
ities. Visitors may also pur
chase some native plants at a
wildflower sale.
Genesee Country Village &
Museum consists of 57 19 th -cen-
Herb Horticulture Program
WESTMINSTER, Md.
Learn to build a twig trellis and
twig furniture will be taught at the
Carroll County Cooperative
Extension office on May 16, from
10 ajn. to noon. The hands-on
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 2, 1908-65
tury buildings that have been
moved to the site, restored to
original condition and furnished
with period antiques. Costumed
"villagers" and craftspeople
interpret Genesee River Valley
Life for visitors. The museum
also includes the Gallery of
Sporting Art with one of the
largest collections of wildlife art
in the country and the 175-acre
Genesee Country Nature Center
with plant, animal and geology
exhibits and five miles of hiking
trails through woodlands, wet
lands and meadows.
The museum is open 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m., Tuesday through
Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. week
ends and holidays. Parking is
free. Admission is adults $ll,
seniors and students with ID
$9.50, youth 4 to 16 $6.50; chil
dren 3 and under free. The
museum is located in Mumford,
N.Y., 20 miles southwest of
Rochester and 45 miles east of
Buffalo near New York State
Thruway exits 47 (Leßoy) and
46 (Rochester).
Call the museum at (716)
538-6822 for further informa
tion.
workshop costs $35 and includes
twigs and nails needed to complete
the project Bring tools for the
class taught by nationally-known
Mark Cherry, recipient of Mary
land’s artistic excellence award.
DISTRIBUTORS WANTED
Ask about our other products available
See our full ad on 4-25-98.
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