These photos I took over a week ago when my pumpkin was growing large and round, happy in his space. We’ve still had intermittent rain and hot temperatures that seemed to encourage this pumpkin onward. Quietly, a small yellow patch showed itself.

This bright patch was a small kiss of color, near the stem, where the sun shone the most. The cheery yellow very slowly continued blushing across the pumpkin, blending into a healthy orange.

Yesterday, July 31st, I noticed a small soft spot on the pumpkin’s skin. I realized this was the beginning of the end of my pumpkin’s journey. Each day I was amazed that no animals came snooping about in search of a garden snack which is usually the case during the flourish of summer gardens around here.

This is what I found this morning.

Now what to do? In my initial research on pumpkin tending I learned I could trim the tertiary vines when they are 15 feet off the main vine. I trimmed only a few that fell within these dimensions. Today, I read about trimming the leaves surrounding the pumpkin to increase airflow and thus inhibiting early rotting. Really sorry I did not read this information earlier, perhaps I’d had a different outcome.

If nothing more than a ‘garden experiment’, I really enjoyed watching the lifecycle of this large pumpkin. When Mr. E’ville gets home I’ll need his help relocating the vandalized pumpkin to a place where the animals can continue the feast. Based on the scat left nearby, this was no squirrel or deer violating my garden. If I see no other sprouting gourds, which has been the case up to now, I’ll probably pull the vine as well.

Happily, a friend is propagating flowers from her garden and is sharing with me. I must admit I am happy to transplant these new additions, replacing the sprawling vegetation that took over my garden. I’m sure The Great Pumpkin will return next summer but hopefully not too early and in a more appropriate spot where he can take hold until to Halloween.