Jack-Be-Little is going up!

It is another wild night on the Bayou. There are high winds along with hail, tornado warnings, thunderstorm warnings and flood warnings. Although we could definitely use the rain, the wind and tornadoes are a different story. It does make for an interesting time! I love to hear the wind whipping around the treetops..within reason. I do not particularly care for severe storms.

Instead...I will ponder happier things! Ahh..cool crisp nights, Fall leaves, pumpkins..just the mere mention sends my mind all atwitter! It is time to pull out the decorations! Ummm.. No, No, No! Wrong season! But I am excited about pumpkins! It is time for me to start planning just where to plant a few. This year, not only am I going to plant the regular "Jack-O-Lantern" type pumpkins but I am also planting some miniature ones. For years, I was under the assumption that these tiny treasures were for ornamentation only and were certainly not edible. I was wrong! Not only are they edible, they are delicious! What a wonderful surprise! Word of note..use only dull skinned pumpkins.. the bright shiny ones are coated with a wax that may not be real healthy for you. I always thought they were so adorable and it seemed such a shame to toss them after the holidays. I realize it would be sort of ridiculous to use these tiny tidbits for pies..you would literally need a bucketful for one deep-dish pie. They are, however, delightful when used for "pie in a pumpkin"! I will post a recipe this Fall for this but now..plant those pumpkin seeds!

This year, I did not chunk my little pumpkins in the garbage..I saved them, expecting them to shrivel and dry eventually. My pumpkins did not dry! All but one are still just as pretty as the day I used them in the floral arrangements. Now what? How am I supposed to plant the seeds if my seeds are still pumpkins? I must find a way to dry the seeds. I suppose that I should cut and seed them. If all else fails, I will purchase a few seeds..I just really want to grow some "Jack-Be-Little" pumpkins this year!

These, too, are plants that can be grown UP! Dad used to train his pumpkins to grow up and on top of the barn roof! It was quite a unique sight to see pumpkins gleaming in the sunshine atop the roof. The vines will cling readily to most anything so I am going to attach fencing to the eaves of the house to allow my vines to head up!!! I figure that since garden space is scarce (it has been used for the tomatoes, squash and peppers!), I have to find any unused area..so the roof is it! Things are looking up! (Sorry, I could not help that pun!)