Pumpkin Patch

We have a patch of land on the side of our house that is a wasteland of sorts. It is completely fenced in, but there is a fence separating it from our backyard. The prior owners used this area to store their boats. It has a storage shed, a separate dilapidated shed for storing wood, and lots of weeds.

When I first saw the house I had dreams of turning it into a vegetable garden. I envisioned rows of corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and whatever else I could dream up (and manage to grow). But at the closing we learned that there is an easement running through this patch of land, in the form of a huge sewer pipe that is buried only about an inch below the ground. No worries, I thought--I'll just build a bunch of raised beds. Except that, as my dad pointed out, the area is too shaded for vegetables. True.

So I have been pondering, since then, what to do with that patch of land.

This past weekend my mom led me to her own little wasteland--the area behind their shed where she puts empty plant pots, bags of dirt, and struggling plants. Last fall , after Halloween, she put her pumpkins back there. She intended to dispose of them, but never got around to it. The pumpkins rotted, the seeds fell out, and in their place are lots of baby pumpkin plants. In my mind it's a beautiful story of survival, but I have a tendency to over-romanticize everything. Mom offered me some of the plants. I wasn't really sure where I would put them, but I knew Connor would love them.

I have never grown pumpkins. I've never even seen a pumpkin patch, or a pumpkin plant for that matter. So I did some Internet research. I discovered that these things are huge. Huge is really an understatement. The leaves are much larger than an adult's hand. Heck, the leaves might be larger than Laila. These things sprawl and spread, and can even climb a house and cover a roof. The Native Americans planted them next to corn patches, along with beans. The beans climbed the corn stalks, and the pumpkin vines sprawled between them. The large pumpkin leaves suppressed weed growth and kept moisture in, to aid the growing corn and beans. They called them The Three Sisters.

I've decided to plant my pumpkin plants in the wasteland. I am going to tear down the dilapidated shed, hoe out the weeds, and plant the pumpkins. I have visions of a beautiful pumpkin patch this fall, dotted with bright orange perfectly shaped pumpkins. I may even plant some corn and beans. I think Connor will love it. Lee thinks it's the most random thing ever. It probably is, but it'll make a great spot for a Halloween party.