In Trouble With the Amish

This is why I love Fall - it's just so colorful!  I guess you could say I just have a passion for cucurbits -love that word! - a fancy word for the family of fruits that includes pumpkins, squashes, and gourds.

Roadside markets call out to me daily.  Here are some beautiful photos from an Amish stand I stopped at recently.  (The Amish lady there yelled at me, "No photos of people, no photos of people!"  I assured her I respected their wishes and was just taking pictures of their produce and flowers.  She smiled and was fine with that.  I probably should have simply asked for permission first.)

And speaking of pumpkins, I recently read an article in the magazine "Women's Day Halloween Celebrations 2012" in which I learned some new facts about these orange delights.  

More than 90% of the pumpkins processed in the United States are grown in Illinois.  In fact, the Condill family of central Illinois, who decorated the north lawn of the White House two years ago, grows more than 400 varieties of pumpkins, squashes and gourds on their farm, including pumpkins from six of the seven continents.

According to the article, "Although you may think of a true, bright orange when you think of pumpkins, across the world they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns.  What we would consider a classic orange pumpkin is a uniquely American crop."

Some of my personal favorites are the following:

   - The warty orange ones pictured above, called Knuckleheads.

   - The squat large warty green ones, called Marina di Chioggia.

   - The flattened-ball shape with yellow and green striping and blotches on a white background, called Survivor.

And, if you are of the mind to grow a record breaking large pumpkin (record holders are almost a ton), it is possible if you tend it somewhat like a child.  When tended correctly, some pumpkins can grow at a  rate of 25 pounds per day at the end of the growing season.

The 2011 World Record, Quebec, Canada

Now that's a big PUMPKIN!