These Windsor residents are trying to grow a giant pumpkin on their front lawn
They wanted to grow a big pumpkin to use in their annual Halloween display
Over the past few months, whenever people walk by Greg Underwood's Walkerville home, in Windsor, Ont., and see him outside, they often point to his front lawn and ask, 'What is it?'
"I've told a few people that have passed by that it was a giant pumpkin," said Underwood.
It's a familiar fall sight, just in an unfamiliar place. The pumpkin itself isn't as big as Underwood had hoped, but the plant has almost completely blanketed his front lawn.
"I had no idea that it would, in fact, take over the yard," he said with a chuckle.
Underwood had been on a business trip when he saw that a client of his had a photo of a massive pumpkin.
"I said, 'So do you grow giant pumpkins? And he said, 'Sure, are you interested? ... I thought, 'Gee that would be kind of neat to try and replicate that.'"
He says the expert grower from Michigan, Cecil Weston, gave him an entire giant pumpkin growing kit, which included several seeds from his past champion pumpkins that have won contests.
Underwood took some of the seeds and started growing them in a container indoors this spring, before eventually planting them outside.
"After I started them, I realized we didn't have a real good place to put them in our yard and I thought if they get real big, how am I going to move them? So by default I guess they ended up in the front yard."
Underwood was already dreaming of using the pumpkins in the big Halloween display he and his wife, Paula Brook, do every year outside of their home.
"The movie about Christmas vacation and how he had 20,000 lights around his house, that's kind of what our house looks a little bit like, lots of lights, inflatables ... banners hanging, that sort of stuff," he said.
But he wanted to surprise Brook, so for months he kept the plant's identity a secret. A few weeks ago, Brook caught on when she saw the pumpkins that started growing.
'It's putting it out front ... right in people's faces'
Paul Zammit, a horticulture professor at Niagara College, says when he first heard about the pumpkin and saw the pictures, it "put this huge smile on my face."
"What I really like about that, is it's putting it out front and I mean literally out front on the front yard, right in people's faces," said Zammit.
He says this is a great way to show people how these vegetables are grown and start a conversation.
"I love the idea of using lawn spaces," he said.
"In this neighbourhood, all the people walking by or driving by are being exposed to this."
Zammit added it would be great to see a little sign by the pumpkin explaining what it is.
Zammit says lawns usually aren't biodiverse, they are seen as play areas, and that people don't typically experiment with them in this way.
But he notes it's a great option for people who want to grow plants, but don't have the right amount of sunlight in their backyard.
When it comes to giant pumpkins or any sort of edible plant, Zammit says they require well-drained and nutrient-rich soils and lots of sunlight — all of which is possible on a front lawn.
But Zammit says he does worry about people vandalizing the pumpkin or it falling victim to deer, squirrels or chipmunks.
He says covering it with a net of sorts could be a possibility, but it's challenging as pumpkins can quickly outgrow a net or fence.
By the looks of it, Zammit says Underwood and Brook's pumpkin is still a bit immature, but he thinks there's still the chance for a bit more growth.
"A lot of people are like, 'Oh ... the summer is done, gardens over.' We are actually in one of the best times for growing things, because we still will get some heat, we get some occasional moisture," he said.
Though it's unlikely Underwood and Brook will get the massive pumpkin they had hoped for, the couple is still looking forward to including it in their Halloween display this year.
"Hopefully it'll be bigger than what you see in a grocery store or in a farm," said Underwood.
"Next year, maybe we'll get it even bigger."
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