All who have planted zucchini know of its propensity to hide baseball bats under the scratchy umbrella leaves, waiting to surprise you with a daily doubling in size. Two such variegated logs sat on our back porch for a week or longer as we pretended not to see them daily. It was not for lack of inspiration in their use — Farley spent weeks putting their green flesh into nearly everything she cooked until we just couldn’t take it anymore and resigned ourselves to leaving the last few uneaten.
Read moreIn Search of the Great Pumpkin
By the time Bryon and I married in 2013, my pumpkin-growing process was a familiar tune. I’d start the seeds in January, then plant them in late March near the apple trees with lots of rich compost and natural amendments. The vines would wind their way across the long driveway to make the most of its radiating warmth.
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