A perfect October begins with crisp sunny days and cool clear nights—and summer’s foliage reveals its true colors of gold, orange or blood-red.
Tidy chrysanthemums dot gardens and fill containers with be-jeweled pincushions while the ornamental grass rustles in the autumn wind. However… don’t be lulled by this bittersweet beauty. Mother Nature has a sparkle in her eye. Be vigilant as pumpkins and warty gourds start to colonize front porches and stair steps—one-by-one… and soon, the whole block. They seem so innocent, at first. Bathed in moonlight, dried cornstalks stand tall as guardians of the dark side with their ghostly presence. Black-feathered ravens perch on jack o’ lanterns as their flickering glow lights the way for foot-dragging zombies, as well as fairy princesses—simply searching for a sweet treat. Nature becomes super-natural at the end of October, but—as you know—in the blink of a newt’s eye, the magic vanishes until next year.
Enjoy a bit of Halloween haunting:
The Great Pumpkin...
Did you know that monster pumpkins can grow up to 30 pounds a day? The world record monster pumpkins weighed over one ton in 2014! If you want to grow some of these mutant squash next year, the plants need plenty of room to spread (as much as 1200 square feet) and lots of water. We have large pumpkins (not quite as heavy as one ton!) in our outdoor greenhouse—save your seeds!
Ideas from the Pumpkin Patch...
Scoop out orange or white ‘Ghost’ pumpkins and fill these empty pumpkins with potting soil. Drill a few holes in the bottom. Dig in black and orange pansies or ornamental cabbages to make a grouping of wicked Halloween containers for those cool, October days. Baked pumpkin seeds are a plus!
A Ghostly Glow...
Lose the fear factor when you use battery-operated candles instead of a real flame for your jack o’ lanterns. Look for 'flameless' candles with a flickering wick and a waxy exterior. After Halloween hauntings, you can use them for the next holiday.
What’s the buzz? The sound of summer. Filling your garden with flowering plants that bees like is the perfect way to a part of the cycle of nature. Bees are hardworking insects—pollinating our crops and flowers for us and feeding themselves and their community at the same time. And, don’t forget the honey—one of nature’s simplest pleasures.
