By Stan Tekiela
I would like to tell you about something so common and ubiquitous in our American culture that I am sure you don’t think about it as being very special. It is something that has been around for a long time and you see these things every year. And no doubt you might even eat these things or at least taste the flavor, especially at this time of year. I am talking about pumpkins.
Simply put, pumpkins are a type of winter squash. Winter squash is an annual fruit within the genus Cucurbita. They are typically a warm season plant which means they aren’t planted until early summer when the ground temperature is warm and the fruit ripens in October. They grow on a vine that creeps across the ground and has very large edible flowers. The fruit develops quickly and comes in all sizes and shapes and colors.