Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 18 Entries. Wednesday, April 21 View Page Thanks to BOOM BOOM and the gals at the PNWGPG for giving me encouragement I decided to start another pumpkin. . .too cold in sunny CA. Here comes sleepless nights not counting sheep but pumpkins! Yikes hope my marriage survives after 46 years. Lucie will be right there with me and Fred too! Saturday, April 24 View Page The Little Shop of Horrors is behind me. . taking care of 2,500 heirloom tomato/pepper seedlings in different greenhouses for 3 months which benefits kids summer camp at our local YMCA. We surpassed last years sale. . doubled it! We are known as the Dirty Dozen. Now I need a bigger green house to expand the project. Will I have time to concentrate on choosing seeds for the next hopefully BIG event? I'm going to put the seeds in a paper bag, shake the bag and then just close my eyes and take out 5 seeds. .how does one choose? I'm not getting too excited, just taking one moment at a time RIGHT! All night thinking about which seed, how many can I/the garden handle. I've got to go work out and pump iron now to get ready. Happy Planting to everyone! Sunday, April 25 View Page Ode to the Pumpkin Goddess! In honor of Princess Luna 2 (Picone)2009 Half Moon Bay 10/14/2009 Parent Gandalf 584 Zunino 2007 Dill Atlantic who is now resting in our compost. Tuesday, April 27 View Page The classical music paid off. . My husband thought I really went over the edge this time. I left the classical music playing for all the seeds. From 3 to 5 days five out of ten seeds popped. The first was none other than my own (photo) "Princess Luna 2", the second was Holland 2008 1162, the 3rd was Holland 2005 1161, 4th was Barker 2009 1191 and 5th was Holland 2008 1462. I am still waiting for the other quintuplets; Holland 2007 1384, Popp 2009 1280, Holland 2008 1262, Holland 2008 1190, and Harp 2009 1236. Friday, April 30 View Page Finally the update on the "quints"; harp 2009 1236 emerged after 7 days planting the seed. The other 4. . . Holland 07 1384, Holland 08 1262 and Popp 09 1280 didn't germinate. Poor seeds are dead, poor seeds are dead they will be making their way to the compost pile! Now which ones to keep? I have 6 great starts only have room for 3 or 5 or 6? Guess I'm going to roll the dice to choose the 3. I wonder why Princess Luna 2 seed emerged with 3 leaves? Sunday, May 2 View Page Went for a walk with my lab Siena and met our neighbor Lucie who is 4 years old. She is excited about her cherry tomato plant that I gave to her at the YMCA sale. I told her that I was growing a giant pumpkin and would name it Lucie! She was sooooo excited. So whatever plant of the 4 I decide to keep we will call it LUCIE! We shall see what comes about, only time will tell. Elmer and Sonia organized the front garden area, which is approx 25 x 30. We put a fence around it to keep Siena out and planted 4 pumpkins (Harp, Barker, and 2 Holland’s. We really planned out the area and Elmer said a prayer at each hill. We really felt like we accomplished a big project. We made temporary housing with black plastic bags, stakes and clothespins for each pumpkin. Monday, May 3 View Page Checked on Princess Luna 2’s baby…in our back yard LOOKS GOOD. . .she’s my 5th pumpkin and my FAV! Later took a walk with Siena to the farmette to check on the 4 pumpkins, all look good. I moved Harp’s pumpkin around because it wasn’t pointed the right way. When I planted the pumpkin I couldn’t tell which way the first leaf was going. Thursday, June 24 View Page What a cold spring. . . summer finally. . .here's Holland 1462 2008 (nickname Lucy). Pulled out Harp 1236 2009 and Holland 1162 2008 they were small compared to the 2 others that I kept. I was a tough decision but I didn't have space for 4 pumpkins. RIP in the compost. Thursday, June 24 View Page Here's Barker 2009 1191. . . AKA Ethel. I could not believe my eyes. . .there is a pumpkin on the main vine. Lucy and Ethel are having a great time in the garden, what kind of mischief will they get into? Sunday, June 27 View Page Here's Lucy's male friends. Ethel has male friends hanging around too. Both Lucy (Holland 1462 2008) and Ethel (Barker 1191 2009) have their first pumpkins on the main vine. We r going to have Fun in the SUN! Yahoo. . .this can be an E-Ticket ride. Sunday, June 27 View Page Here's Lucy! Where's Ethel? Sunday, June 27 View Page Here's Ethel! Hey Lucy. . I'm right here. Tuesday, June 29 View Page YAYAAAAA CREDO! Wednesday, June 30 View Page Here's Ethel (front) Barker, Lucy (back) Holland. . .at 8' need to wait. . . .slow and easy. . .the males in waiting are getting anxious to pollinate. Friday, July 23 View Page HERE'S Holland 1463 AKA LUCY(back) & Barker 1191 AKA ETHEL (front) ! ! ! oh what to do. . . Lucy has 2 pumpkins one 38", another 18" and Ethel is off to a slower start. . .16". The larger Lucy (38") is on a secondary vine and from all the "pros" that I talked to via email they said to cull the one on the secondary vine. TOUGH decision. As a pro put it. . ."You are the captain of your giant pumpkin ship. You are the one that decides your pumpkin ship's needs and what direction you want to take it. It is the decisions you make that decide whether or not your pumpkin ship runs aground or whether you sail it safely to the weigh off scale. If you want to grow smaller fruit then just overload your pumpkin plants with extra pumpkins. If you want to sail to the weigh off scale with a huge pumpkin then give your pumpkin ship what it needs to do so. A talented second year grower should be able to grow one just as large or larger. Learn to think in four digit numbers". Will keep u posted. . . they r growing faster than princess luna (Zunino)same time last year. Hummmmm Time to call in the YAYAAAAAAAAAAA's for help on making this decision. Tuesday, July 27 View Page I did it! Yikes it was a BIG decision.. . .culled the pumpkin on the secondary vine. thanks to my YAYAAAAAAAAAAA Jean who gave me support! The culled pumpkin is "Pumpkin Goddess" looking over the pumpkin patch. Saturday, July 31 View Page in spite of my pulled ligament. in the pumpkin patch with Lucy & Ethel. . YAYAAAAA Jean (AKA FRED) helped me a BIG THANK YOU. . .JEAN! Thursday, August 26 View Page here's lucy(holland) to the left and ethel (barker)to the right at both approx 45 days old