The Compost Bin

Well right now it's a few pumpkin plants (and in need of some weeding) but it will eventually grow into a pumpkin patch.

Last year when my son was two we planted a pumpkin patch together. All the child development books say that Gardening With Children is a great learning activity and something that parents and children can enjoy together. So we choose some Big Max pumpkin seeds because they're pretty big and easy for his little fingers to handle.

He spent about 2 minutes sticking his fingers in the dirt to make a hole and then dropped the large seeds in. A 2 minute activity for a 2 year old boy was about his limit. If I remember right he dropped the last seed in the hole and yelled "run" then ran away. He wasn't scared or anything, he just likes to run all the time. I have a junior Forrest Gump on my hands. "That boy is a running fool." Even now at almost age 4, my wife and I hear him running in the middle of the night. He runs to the bathroom, does his business and runs back to his bedroom. One of us will go and tuck him back in after we hear his little running feet and he's already fast asleep.

But anyway, we got the seeds in the ground together. Mission Accompliced! He actually became more interested as these 10 foot plus vines started to take over that section of the garden. And without a lot of attention, we were able to grow two pumpkins. One was pretty big at about 30 pounds and the other one was nice too at about 20 pounds. We were pretty happy with the results.

Then I read in the local paper that a man in my town grew a 50 pound pumpkin with his daughter in their background pumpkin patch. We were beaten by only 20 pounds but we didn't even try. GAME ON!

This year I ordered some Prizewinner Hybrid Pumpkin Seeds and they're doing pretty well so far. I think that with what I learned about growing pumpkins last year, 50 pounds shouldn't be a problem. But newspaper or not, gardening with my son, even if it's for 2 minutes, is definitely worth it.