Caught in the act...

For years I have been trying to grow big, orange pumpkins to use for decorations in the Fall, and every year I only get a few teeeny-tiny green pumpkins.  So, last year I did some research and learned about hand-pollinating, where you take a male pumpkin flower and brush its pollen onto a female flower (just in case the bees and butterflies don't do their job well enough).

Male pumpkin flower

Female pumpkin flower

So I tried it this year.  I admit, it was a little embarrassing at first--I may have even blushed.  :}  My husband thought it was hilarious as he watched me go out to the garden many-a-morning to help my pumpkin plants mate. Apparently, he thought it was so funny that he even caught it on camera.  It was the only time I've seen him pick up my camera in 5 years!  :)  What a stinker.

Caught pollinating...

But, I do feel slightly vindicated now that I can see the fruits of my labor.  We got 10 big, beautiful pumpkins this year!  Some of them were still green when I had to bring them inside to avoid our early Montana frost, but even those have now turned orange.  The kids and I had so much fun watching them grow all summer, and now we have our very own pumpkins to decorate our home and to turn into "Saint-O-Lanterns" in October.

Proof that hand-pollinating worked!

Aren't they pretty?

They make our living room look so Autumnish :)

Here's the cutest pumpkin of all! :)

HAPPY FALL!!!