IS THERE ANYTHING EASIER TO GROW THAN PUMPKINS? Last season, we planted ours and promptly forgot about them. It wasn’t until about three months after we planted them that we started poking around in the patch to see if any had set fruit. We lifted up one large leaf and actually startled ourselves. There lay a gigantic King of Mammouth pumpkin…already about twenty pounds or so. By the time fall came, it looked like the ground had been bombarded by a meteor shower of pumpkins.  We don’t remember much about last October…it was one long haze of canning pumpkin butter, which we gave out as Christmas gifts.

Pumpkins are, of course, one of the oldest garden plants grown in America. Like many of our modern garden favorites, we have the Native Americans to thank for them. Below are the varieties we’re growing this year, though we encourage you to check out the many more unique varieties that Landreth offers.  There are just so many crazy kinds. It may make you totally rethink Halloween.

Tell us your favorites in the comment section below the photos.

SMALL SUGAR PUMPKIN – Also known as New England Pie, this pumpkin was introduced before 1860.

CHEESE PUMPKIN – Very pale orange/cream pumpkin, great for baking.

KING OF MAMMOTH PUMPKIN – Also known as Mammoth Chile, this is a rare, old heirloom pumpkin which was introduced before 1824. It is a huge pumpkin which has been known to grow to 250 lb., but routinely grows 40-100 lb.