garden news-pumpkin patch 2026

GARDEN NEWS-PUMPKIN PATCH 2026





each spirng in june or july we plant about 120 pumpkins in our pumpkin patch in our front field of our community garden
this year were planted them early in june
we planted the seeds in late march or early april in our greenhouses

this year we have multiple varieties like the usual pumpkins
we have big ones and small ones and orange ones yellow ones red ones and this years some one gave us some blue one seeds to plant
we also plant several gourds and squashes to add to the color and greenery

alas we usually lose about 25% to gophers

man in texas we didnt have gopher issues but here they can wipe out a lot of crops
we lost two rows of beans and a row of kale to those varmints

luckily we have new ones on standby pumpkins not gophers in the greenhouse to replace the lost pumpkin plants that the gophers destroyed

dang gophers

the first photo is right after we planted all of them
the second photo is a few weeks later
today one month later the plants are all touching each other and have a few small pumpkins
yes we have lost about 10% so far

we also plant a row of sunflowers along the front and a row of corn 

In that first picture see the 7pm-7am on the curb
thats for safe parkers to park
there are about 15 slots for them to park
they are for unhoused folks who can safely park their cars in the parking lot and feel safe
security guards come through during the night to check on things
they have access to water and a portapotty that is kept locked

each fall we have over 500+ mostly kindergarteners visit our pumpkin patch and gardens to see the pumpkins to pick their own pumpkin and to do a 2 hour educational program on seeds and pumpkins and squash and rainbow food choices and nature appreciation and bee sessions

for many its the only field trip they get to do that year

i have students in elementary and middle school tell me they remember coming to our garden for the field trip and how much they enjoyed it

they also see chickens and worms and a resident monkey in our small banana grove
the monkeys name is george
he is a stuffed monkey that lives in a tree in the banana grove
many of the kids believe he is real

we do the educational programs in october each year
if we have any pumpkins left they are sold in our fall plant sale for halloween or thanskgiving decorations

to do all of this we utilize around 40-50 volunteers to plant harvest and make the fall field trips successful

kudos to the volunteers

look for somewhere to volunteer where you live
there are lots of places available 
it will make you live longer

our gardens grow about 8000 lbs of produce each year
we donate all of it to charities to those in need
eg
an organic soup kitchen a hospice for the undeserved homeless shelters half way houses and food kitchens

a seed in april makes a pumpkin some child enjoys in october
thanks to funds raised and volunteers that make it happen

i feel like we do a lot of good for those in need in our community garden location

the organicgreen doctor