Pumpkins

I’m not much into seasonal decorating because I feel like I just don’t have the eye for it, but there’s one thing I love at this time of year: pumpkins. When I was younger, you had very orange pumpkins and less orange pumpkins. Now you have not only a variety of colors, but also wrinkles, warts, and bumps.

Perfect encapsulation of the season, seen at Green Acres in Sacramento

The best pumpkin display I’ve seen this year was at the Sacramento location of Green Acres, a family-owned garden center chain. The sheer number of pumpkins, and the variety, was beautiful to behold:
















And pumpkins at Costco (best price, of course):




I did get a net of small pumpkins at Costco and set up a modest display near the front door:

Costco pumpkins and Mangave ‘Bad Hair Day’ in a face pot

Maybe next year I should try to grow some ornamental pumpkins? They do take up a good chuck of real estate, but I should be able to find a sunny corner somewhere. If you grow your own pumpkins, please share your experience in the comments below.


© Gerhard Bock, 2026. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.

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