My Introduction

I grew jack-o-lantern pumpkins every year as a kid in Washington state. It was no secret that I loved pumpkin pie and I grew them to make sue we had plenty! One thanksgiving my mom went to start the turkey and noticed all the pumpkin was missing from all the pies and so she started the investigation. Of course, all of us kids replied not me, but with pumpkin pie from ear to ear, yea, it was clear who done it! Twas I!

There was nine mouths to feed in the family, so the family garden was a bit more then a hobby. But parents set aside a part of the gardne when I grew onions, radishes, carrots, spinich...and my pumpkins! I think when I started pumkins, they were a little disturbed as it took a fair share of the garden, but still they let me grow them. For the family, tomatos were the staple! We canned tons of stewed tomatos every year ... and I think about every dish mom prepaired had stewed tomatos in them.

We didn't just grow a vegie garden, we had a jungle of plants, inside and out! I learned to take hard and softwood cuttings and all sorts of tricks of the trade -- o-yes, and making soil! And there were even hot frames filled the basement for the winter months. Gardening was our family time, whether teaching us to pinch suckers, picking fruit, canning, grub management, tending hot frames, or just watering. We learned there is more to gardening then planting seeds! And I thank my parents for teaching us ... and also always alowing space for my pumpkins!

I grew a bit in Nebraska and again in Maryland. I had a nice size yard in Maryland that alowed me variety. It looked like a big japanese garden, but I had a theam of incorperating all sorts of fruits in the landacape ... blueberry for a hedge and red fall color; pear, cherry, apples, peaches for trees with strawberry, lingonberry, cranberry, and wintergreen for groundcovers ... all amoung a host of Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and lylies. And of course, I always made a spot for pumpkins!

It was while in Maryland that a neighbor kid brought home a pumpkin plant he started in science class and they planted it in the front yard. I eyed it every day and when I saw the fruit, I knew it was an AG (wow what a nice science teacher!). Well, I knew all about AGs but never grew them at that time. But I knew enough about growing them to give them advice and lend a hand. It grew fast to 100+lbs but the local woodchuck got to it and that was the end. I could tell many a story about the that woodchuck -- he was a pest to me too before I traped it. Anyway, to pay me back for my help, they gave me the seeds! And that was my start in the AG world.

In fall of 2006 I moved to NM. I knew most of my plants would not grow in NM so I had to part with most. I did keep my propagators and a few select plants. Anyway, I figured I was all by done growing except the one time lanscaping of the yard seeig it was a new house. While working on landscaping this spring, I decided I would put in a planter -- dang it, I gota grow something!@ And so I put in a planter in the back corner. Nothing big but enough for a small garden. The rest of the lanscape is mostly rock and pool.

Once I put the planter in, I had to continue with the landscape, so I knew I didn't have time to really work-it, so I just threw down some left over AGs. At least I would have some green and perhaps a jack-o-lantern for halloween. It was not my intent to be competitive although I did think I had a good chance to break NM’s record as it was only 311 a that time. Growing a giant was not my intent, almost a fear as it would be nearly impossible to get ard to get a 1000lb out of my back yard – it would take a crane and have to be lifted over the over the house ... and with my luck it would fall half way over!

Well, I didn't grow-em big, and -- not even close to Maryland, but I did end up with five fairly good ones. But I also learned NM is not like growing elsewhere! The Aug average temp was probably over 100f ... and then that dang hail ... growing in NM is a real challange. Well guess what, I'm challange driven! AGs are not going to beat me! And thatZ is HowZ it iZ!