A PUMPKIN PATCH In A FISH POND?!

Last year around this time, the family all got together for a big pumpkin carving contest. Everybody had to bring their own design and then the carving began. With pumpkins, carving tools and seeds flying everywhere, SOMETHING was left behind undetected by me...until recently.

The summer was so hot here in the south, that everything seemed to be dying from lack of rain. Some of my larger plants had even died and the poor little fish in my pond were desperately searching for either a rock or plant to hide under in an attempt to hide from the sun. That was the initial reason that I left what appeared to be a large weed growing around their pond. However, as the summer began to wind down, I noticed that weed looked a little bit like a vegetable plant. Caitlin had planted some things in a container back there; perhaps some sort of seed had been blown over that way and taken root.

As the days got cooler, Robby and I were out there on the back patio and I pointed out my "weed/possible vegetable plant"; it had grown pretty big by now and I was wondering WHAT in the WORLD it was. Taking a look at it for the very first time, Robby knew EXACTLY what it was...it was a pumpkin vine! And on that vine that wound partially around my fish pond, were now blooms! I was growing a "pumpkin patch in a fish pond".

Most likely what had happened, was that during our family pumpkin carving contest last year, some of the seeds from our pumpkins were swept off into the dirt surrounding the pond, Although it had been a very hot summer, the sprinkler system out there kept those seeds watered and now I was apparently growing pumpkins. Well...I had always wanted to grow my own pumpkins for the fall, but just had never gotten around to doing so; I suppose nature had taken care of that for me this year.

When I met with my new lawn care taker this past week, I instructed him clearly to NOT let anyone pull my pumpkins up while working on the flower beds. He laughed and asked, "pumpkins"?! "Yes, those around my fish pond! They are blooming now and I'm told that they are very close to bearing pumpkins...I want to see if they really WILL grow there." He told me that the same thing had happened at his house with watermelon seeds, so I am even more in hopes now that I will get myself some pumpkins! Nothing says, "Welcome To Fall" like pumpkins and although I will be surprised if I have any by Halloween, I sure do hope to have some at least by Thanksgiving!