Pumpkins on the vine & other garden news

Our pumpkins are starting to come on strong now. I began taking these photos about a week and a half ago, so the pumpkins have already doubled in size. They should be ready to pick in mid October. We are growing four different varieties, from the miniatures to a giant size. One kind is especially for eating (pumpkin pie) and I don't remember the name of the other variety of pumpkins. I avoid the sun as much as possible, so these photos were all taken at sunset and some have a shiny flash of light to them.

This photo above is the first pumpkin spotted nearly two weeks ago. It was about the size of a small egg.

This one above is a different variety and about a week ago was about the size of a ping pong ball.

This pumpkin above is about 8 inches tall.

This pumpkin above is about 10 inches tall.

And the biggest one (as of last week) was this one,, which was about 11" tall. If you want to know more about pumpkins, The Pumpkin Patch is one of the best websites I've found on the subject. The soil and climate here in central Illinois makes the state a leader in pumpkin production. Although dated, this press release by the Illinois Department of Agriculture from a few years ago makes that claim and I'm pretty sure it still holds true. We grow pumpkins and sell them at the Farmer's Market and other local businesses, including our own.

We are also growing watermelon, cantaloupes, and some ornamental gourds. We have only a small vegetable garden and have already enjoyed fresh home grown lettuce, radishes, bell peppers, tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. With all the mowing and caring for the chickens, turkeys, and guineas, we don't have as much time as we would like to tend to the gardening. For that reason, we grow plants that don't require a lot of maintenance. Weeds are an ongoing problem though!

Our Sunflowers, Yarrow, Safflower, and Tansy are the only flowers we grow for use at the flower shop. We have several varieties of Sunflowers, and they are so much prettier than the ones available from our wholesalers. These flowers will will continue to bloom for another month or two.

The gardening, mowing, pets and regular chores have kept us pretty busy today, or I would've posted something to the blog sooner! Our little farm is surrounded on three sides by beautiful soy bean fields. It is quite a sight--much better than the 16' tall corn that was surrounding us last year. I'll post some soybean pictures soon. Have a great week everybody!