Whether you use them for décor or eating, pumpkins picked right out of your garden are a real treat! The color ranges can be amazing--from white to many oranges, reds, greens, and blues. Also the different shapes and sizes can make any fall or winter display pleasing. Here are some varieties you'll see in stock at Orchard Nursery at some time during the planting season.

Lumina: Ghostly white pumpkin great for carving and painting. Fruits 8 - 10" across, weighs 10 -12 pounds with delicious orange flesh. Stores well. 80 - 90 days.

Rouge Vif d'Etampes: The plant produces good yields of 20 lb. size bright orange-red pumpkins. Pumpkins are flattened globe-shaped with deep ribs. Keeps well. This is a French heirloom variety. 100 days. This one is also known as 'Cinderella.'

Dill's Atlantic Giant: If you are going for that award-winning backbreaker to lift, this is the one! The record holder is over 1500 pounds. Even without a lot of special treatment up to 200 - 300 lbs. easily. The skin is a light buff orange and the flesh is flavorful and orange. 120 days.

Big Max: Huge pumpkins up to 70 inches around often weigh 100 pounds or more, if given enough water, food and space. Bright orange skin covers 4 inch thick yellow-orange flesh. Delicious for pies. 120 Days.

Howden: These deep orange, ribbed, somewhat egg-shaped, plump pumpkins set the industry standard for appearance, vitality, and yields. The heavy yielding plants yield a big crop of 20 -30 lb. pumpkins, each measuring 13 -16 inches long.

Funny Face: These are uniformly sized pumpkins, with bright orange-yellow smooth rind, moderate ribbing, yellow flesh and firm handles. They grow 11 inches by 14 inches and weigh in at 9 to 11 pounds. Can be used for pies and ornamentals.

Jack Be Little: This is a mini pumpkin great to use as fall and winter table decorations. They are just 3 inches across and 2 inches tall. 93 days.

Jack O' Lantern: Medium size pumpkin, excellent for carving and eating. 110 days.

Spookie: These are round, with bright orange rind. They grow 6 - 8 inches and weigh around 5 pounds. They have very good flavor for pies. 100 days.

Sorcerer: A high yielding medium sized beauty. Sorcerer is deep orange, very round weighing 15 -25 lbs. and anchored by a large, firmly rooted handle. Ribbing is heavy. Height is 14 inches. 95 Days.

Red Warty Thing: The name gives it all away. The pumpkin makes a creepy decoration, but can be good eating also. Nice round shape and the pumpkin can get to 20 pounds. Very fun to grow with your kids.

Casper: This plant produces yields of 10 -15 pound white pumpkins. The flesh is sweet, making it perfect for making pies.

Jarrahdale: This is one of my favorites! When I was in Australia this past fall, I noticed it was a vegetable with my entrée in many restaurants. My cousins told me it was quite common and showed me this variety in the grocery store cut in half and ready to be cooked. It was delicious! (Randall Barnes, Bedding Dept. Manager)

These pumpkins are dazzling and unique with silvery blue deeply ribbed skin. Great fall decoration, but also very good flavor for cooking. The rich golden flesh has a mild nutty flavor. These can get 6 - 12 pounds.

 

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Your favorite footwear, OKA B., is making an appearance with new styles and colors! Here's why we all love them: 

• Durable one-piece construction
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It is a common misconception that all succulents need full sun and can take the scorching heat of our interior valleys. It is true that cacti and other desert plants like agaves, yuccas and dasylirions can take that exposure in stride. But other ‘softer’ leaf succulents aren’t actually desert plants. Aeoniums, aloes, dudleyas, echeverias and others are from coastal or cooler mountain regions of Africa and islands like the Canary Islands and Madagascar. No wonder they scorch and shrink when we plant them in full hot sun in the valley! If you are on the coast or in a fog belt like Berkeley or Richmond, they will be happy in any exposure (except deep shade). But inland, find places where they can take advantage of some partial shade from a boulder or wall or a taller plant. With just a little sun protection they will thrive in even the hottest climates.

Another misconception is that succulents don’t need any water. While you do want to be fairly stingy with the frequency of watering, they do need water. Without it, they will use up all the reserves they store in their succulent stems and leaves and shrivel up. What they cannot tolerate is water that doesn’t drain out of the soil quickly. Succulents want a good drink to replenish their water storage capacity and then want the water to drain away from their roots. That is why we recommend mixing the bagged Cactus Mix together with Volcanic Pumice (60%/40% respectively) when planting in pots.

When planting succulents in the ground, mound up the same soil mixture 12” or more and add a gravel mulch on top to keep their roots from staying too wet during our long winter rainy season. (Tip: plant rosette-forming succulents on a tilt or slope so water doesn’t ‘collect’ in the center of the rosette and cause rot.)

Succulents can add a whole new dimension to your garden and planted with the above considerations will last for many years. We have many beautiful succulents to pick from in the nursery. If you are unsure of your selection or site issues, don’t hesitate to ask our qualified Nursery Professionals for help!

Jan Enderle, Advanced CCNPro

 

Verbena This annual is an excellent performer with large florets above the foliage. Colors can be white, pink, red, purple, rose, blue, and mango. Leaves are dark green, narrow, and serrated. Popular for massing in beds and borders, edging, containers, and window boxes. Full sun, well drained soil and moderate watering. Fertilize regularly.
Dahlberg Daisy Brighten your garden with this low growing plant which bears a mass of bright yellow, single daisy flowers throughout the summer. Ideal for informal gardens, cottage gardens, and containers. Sun, well drained soil and moderate to little watering, less than most annuals.

 

 

Correct Answer: The ornamental vegetable is sweet potato vine (Ipomaea batatus).