Pumpkin Patch
In the darkness of night, jack-o-lantern faces glow, lit from within by candle light.
Do you like to carve a scary face or a funny face into your pumpkin?
Do you dress up and go out on Halloween?
Do you like to carve a scary face or a funny face into your pumpkin?
Do you dress up and go out on Halloween?
The family of gourds, of which pumpkins are a member, are plants that were specifically domesticated for their wide range of use. From their seed to their rinds, gourds are an important source of food for both humans and animals. When hallowed out, gourds can be crafted into a variety of utensils, vessels, musical instruments, birdhouses and objects of art.
Used in rituals and ceremonies, gourds take on the role of protector against all that is most mischievous, even evil, in the darkness of night. How better to chase evil spirits away than to scrape out a pumpkin, carve a sinister face into its rind and illuminate the cavernous eyes and fiendish mouth with a small candle. A menacing visage flickering in the wind? Scary indeed.
Defined as a fruit, pumpkins are berries and rely on honey bees for pollination. With bee populations in severe decline due to pesticides and dwindling natural habitat that provides a diversity of food for bees, some farmers are resorting to hand pollination, a labor-intensive practice that's not as reliable as Mother Nature. Pumpkins are fun and easy to grow in a home garden. Just stay away from nasty pesticides so the bees can thrive and do their work.
Used in rituals and ceremonies, gourds take on the role of protector against all that is most mischievous, even evil, in the darkness of night. How better to chase evil spirits away than to scrape out a pumpkin, carve a sinister face into its rind and illuminate the cavernous eyes and fiendish mouth with a small candle. A menacing visage flickering in the wind? Scary indeed.
Defined as a fruit, pumpkins are berries and rely on honey bees for pollination. With bee populations in severe decline due to pesticides and dwindling natural habitat that provides a diversity of food for bees, some farmers are resorting to hand pollination, a labor-intensive practice that's not as reliable as Mother Nature. Pumpkins are fun and easy to grow in a home garden. Just stay away from nasty pesticides so the bees can thrive and do their work.
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