It's winter all around the country and not much we can do for our garden other than research what seeds we want to grow in the spring and what we'll do differently for our pumpkin patch this year.

Below I've pasted a few winners from a pumpkin poetry contest held recently... enjoy!

Winning entry by David Asman:
I am contemplating my poetic confection,
It is truly concerning seed selection,
And also the pumpkin patch construction,
As a natural organic production!

Two thousand and four approaches initiation,
My heart experiences palpitation,
Will I be rewarded for my dedication,
Or will the year bring forth deflation!

On the net I have viewed erudite conversation,
Of does and don'ts from the pumpkin nation,
A lot of the finest information,
For the pumpkin persons dissemination!

Oh dear, I fear the lack of concentration,
Someone has just mentioned vegetation,
If my leaves are small what vexation,
What if I suffer humiliation!

Oh no, now the talk is of fungal infestation,
And the methods of eradication,
Also varmints and pestilation,
Next thing it will be nuclear radiation!

Heat, snow, hail, precipitation,
Are the subjects for correlation,
What do we do for winter relaxation,
Huntin, shootin or hibernation!

What makes us voluntarily suffer this aggrovation,
Why the miracle of germination,
And the sheer elation,
When the babe is born, end of gestation!

To all congratulations,
And apologies for my poetic girations,
But this is all my own observations,
From an English winter conubation!
- David Asman


2nd place entry by Jim Kilbert

A Toast
Here's a toast to those who wish,
Not for that 12 point buck or trophy fish,
I address those that truly have the gumption,
To earnestly grow a thousand pound pumpkin.

To those of us who strive,
To keep those giant hopes alive!
And to those who will not rest,
Until they reach a personal best.

I am but a mortal man,
But Steve and Charlie proved we can.
Geneva, Dave, and Gerry, too
Raise the bar, and start anew.

Here's to all still in pursuit,
To grow that world record fruit.
Mother Nature must surely grin,
When weigh-off day finally begins.
So large a fruit from seed at start,
With joy we nurture from within our heart.
-Jim Kilbert


3rd place entry by Mike Lehman:

Im hooked on growing pumpkins
Ive done it for a while
When they sprout in the springtime
It makes me want to smile

Ive moved the cars out of the garage
Now Im raising cows and sheep
My wife doesn`t quite understand
That I get my manure real cheap

My neighbors think Im crazy
I rake and haul their leaves for free
I put them in my garden
To grow my big pumpkin 633

Ive moved my lazy boy in my garden
To keep an eye on my pumpkins "of course"
I asked my wife to join me
She said something about a divorce

Now its time to pollinate
My alarm is set and I awoke
After pollinating three 5 lobers
I have myself a smoke

I love growing these big pumpkins
You can even ask my wife
When Im in the garden, 11 oclock at night
She says "I need to get a life"

The kids want to go to the shore
But I cant leave my pumpkins, as a rule
I told them were going in December
When the beaches arent as full

Thank you Mr. Howard Dill
You filled my life with bliss
Without you, I wouldnt of wrote this poem
Or got on the Mallorn list.
- Mike Lehman