Pumpkins
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Transcript
Chuck Denney (UT Institute of Agriculture)
The pumpkin used to be a one-night wonder. Carve a face for October 31st, then throw it in the trash the next day. But now a fall decorating trend is for pumpkins to live beyond Halloween, on to Thanksgiving. Gardening experts with UT AgResearch in Jackson put together this display - 70 varieties of pumpkins, along with gourds and winter squash.
Matthew Morrow (UT AgResearch)
“It took about two-and-a-half days and that was all of us, and another person who is not here. Doing it, you really just start setting things down. You use your eyes as you go.”
Chuck Denney
The display is called the Galaxy of Gourds - the Jack o’ Lantern and Beyond!
It makes a great cell phone screen saver. This agricultural artwork includes gourds shaped like geese or snakes in the trees, and everything from hedge apples to these green prickly things. But at the heart of anything autumn is our old pal the pumpkin.
Jason Reeves (UT AgResearch)
“I’m sure there are three or four hundred cultivars at least on the market today of pumpkins, the Jack O’ lantern types. But if you encompass the whole gamut of gourds, pumpkins and winter squash, several thousand varieties would be available. And the majority of those do well in Tennessee.”
Chuck Denney
Not only are pumpkins pretty to look at throughout November, but this can be dessert for Thanksgiving dinner or other dishes. Pumpkin freezes well and will substitute for squash or sweet potatoes in recipes.
But before you dine on pumpkin, it can be eye candy for a while. Pumpkins are a cool weather fruit that will stay pretty for several weeks, and often are the centerpiece of the fall decorating that’s become so popular in recent years.
Jason Reeves
“You get October and November. You get two good months out of it as opposed to other holidays, and it’s just very festive and colorful and it’s a cooler time of year and people just enjoy being out in their yards. It’s just a fun season.”
Matthew Morrow
“Hay bales have been out for a long time and some mums, but now people are knowing you can use agricultural products to really give it some pizzaz.”
Chuck Denney
This display runs through Thanksgiving, and the one at your place can last just as long. So here’s to the pumpkin - a Halloween tradition that’s growing a longer porch life.
END
NOTE: To locate Tennessee pumpkins or other fall decor - long on to www.picktnproducts.org