Earlier than I dip my fingers into the soil and begin mapping out my gardening ambitions this spring, I’d be remiss if I did not share a relatively enjoyable story of a curious Cucurbita that was a pleasing shock final rising season.
With a south-facing entrance yard that will get loads of solar, I believed it was about time to sprinkle sunflower seeds the place they’d obtain probably the most stark mild doable. My good buddy and neighbor had stunning multi-colored sunflowers the earlier season with which I had turn out to be enamored, and after a couple of years of attractive yellow Russian Mammoth sunflowers doing effectively within the again, I used to be wanting to strive rising a spread that might produce petals of gold, bronze, purple and maroon.
I opened the brand new package deal of blended colour sunflower seeds, discovered acceptable spacing within the bark alongside the perimeters of our porch and awaited with suspense to see if I, too, might develop an exquisite array of colourful sunflowers.
They didn’t disappoint. They awoke from the bottom and reached towards the solar, turning into a few of the most dazzling flowers I had ever grown from seed.
As I watched them develop, I seen one among this stuff was not like the opposite.
“Is {that a} zucchini plant?” I believed as I first spied heart-shaped leaves and thick, inexperienced stalks rising out, not up.
I had planted zucchini in my backyard bins, however they have been means on the opposite facet of the home within the yard. Had the wind or a hen buddy picked up a seed and tossed it proper the place I used to be rising sunflowers? Did I by chance drop a squash seed with out realizing it?
I watched with amazement as this plant stretched out and gave the impression to be relatively glad. This was encouraging, as my zucchini patch in my backyard field was not doing effectively. I believed, “Oh yay! I WILL have a productive zucchini plant this yr in spite of everything!”
However this apparent squash plant stored rising … and rising … and rising.
I named it Thriller Gourd once I realized it was not a zucchini. It was turning into spherical. Was it a spaghetti squash? A butternut?
Nope — it was a pumpkin! I spotted this because the inexperienced started to show yellow, then orange, and the squash was positively forming a spherical form. Not lengthy after I decided it was a pumpkin, I learn concerning the unintentional pumpkin grown at Publish Falls Metropolis Corridor. Possibly it was only a season for nice pumpkin surprises within the River Metropolis.
I sang songs about my Thriller Gourd, I photographed its progress and made all my associates and neighbors come see this shock squash; I used to be fairly pleased with it!
As with all good issues, Thriller Gourd needed to come to an finish. I gave it the right sendoff by carving it right into a jack-o-lantern for Halloween (with assist from Twinkie, the feline jack-o-lantern inspector) and it lived out a cheerful life on my porch the place it glowed with candlelight each evening till the Halloween season ended.
This inexperienced thumb journey was a spotlight of my 2024 rising season. I now have plans to attempt to develop cauliflower, cucumbers and plenty of flowers. Who is aware of what’s going to spring up this yr?
Is it a zucchini? It is positively not a sunflower!
It is a pumpkin!
I used to be profitable in rising gorgeously colourful sunflowers. Excited to see what grows this yr!
Jack-o-lantern inspector Twinkie approves of the Thriller Gourd.
The Thriller Gourd made a superb jack-o-lantern. A contented ending for a shock squash.