Little Pumpkins

I'm a little bummed about my pumpkins this year... the dry, dry summer left the 'crop' rather small this year.  Both in numbers and size!

The spring started great - lots of rain, and the vines took off like wildfire!  But when they normally start flowering and producing 'females', it got dry, so few female buds were produced... and despite our watering, it wasn't enough.  So there were very few.  One finally took off, though.  But sadly, that pumpkin didn't get very big (because is was so dry).  He's a cutie, but only big enough to bake with - no carving this little little guy.  But he'll look cute sitting out before I carve him up for pie, at least.

Sadder, still, is the fact that this is the only pumpkin that's come to term.  And that's with about 6 vines going!  The recent rains made the vines flourish, again, and has produced quite a few female buds... there's probably close to a half-dozen!  But my concern, now, is that we'll get our first frost/freeze before they mature enough.  Keeping my fingers crossed since we're having a warm October so far... but not getting my hopes up.

*sigh*

Glad I still have seeds from last years crop!  Can't let my NC pumpkins cease to survive here (I have no idea the variety - they just came from a pumpkin I originally got in NC - it's more of a peach variety, not orange).

Never thought I'd get a kick out of growing pumpkins...