World of Pumpkins Display
October 5-November 4
Wooly Bears, Blue Dolls and Atlantic Giants are taking over the Oswald Visitor Center at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in October. They’re among the 325 species of squash, pumpkin and gourds that will be harvested at the Arboretum on October 1 and on display through October, highlighting the variety of shapes, sizes, colors and textures of cucurbita from around the world.
The Arboretum’s vast variety of cucurbita, the genus that comprises pumpkins, squash and gourds, is all thanks to Jenny and John Thull. The couple, who tend the vineyards for the Arboretum’s Horticultural Research Center, have spent the last 12 years growing this epic side project. “We want people to try new stuff,” Jenny says, noting that most people don’t venture beyond Butternut or Acorn squash. The Thulls aim to highlight all the flavors and the wide variety of colors, ranging from red to white to green to blue, of squash.
The Thulls tend squash plots over about 3.5 acres of land throughout the Arboretum’s research fields. The seeds are planted in late spring when the soil is warm and dry enough to encourage life, and with nature’s cooperation, by mid-September the Thulls’ squash plots are dotted with pumpkins, squash and gourds of all shapes, colors and sizes, from the petite Wooly Bear that’s about 1-2 inches to the hefty Atlantic Giant. The Thull’s largest pumpkin was a 282-pound Atlantic Giant, but heft is never a goal because “we have to move them ourselves,” John says with a chuckle.
When Jenny starts seed shopping, she’s looking for the new, exotic varieties that come in unusual colors or shapes, but also for practical things, like sturdy stemmed pumpkins that are the right size for carving. She follows the trends, growing 14 different varieties of white pumpkin, as well as blue pumpkins. It takes her about 12 hours just to purchase the squash seeds, most of which are heirloom.
Beyond the awe-inspiring nature of the Arboretum’s cucurbita collection, it also connects with people on a personal level. Jenny has received notes and seed packets from squash fans asking her to grow their favorites, and one man was delighted to find the squash that he had grown up eating in Thailand. He said he hadn’t seen it since he was a small child.
Jenny, a professional chef, has cooked every variety she’s grown, and her favorites for cooking are the Marina Di Chioggia, an Italian squash that’s great for ravioli, and Shishigatani, a Japanese squash, which starts out as dark green/black and turns tan after a few months signaling its ready to eat.
After harvesting, the cucurbita are cleaned and sent on various missions. Some are used for educational programs at the Arb, many are used in seasonal displays—including the display in the Oswald Visitor Center—and the rest are for sale in the AppleHouse. The squash will also be on display in KARE-11's backyard.
