May 15, 2026 - Things to Do
I finally planted my giant pumpkins outside
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Hope #2 and Artemis. She protecc. Photo: Linh Ta/Axios
Linh here! And I'm on a journey to grow a giant pumpkin in the hopes of showing it at the Iowa State Fair.
- Aptly, the pumpkin is named Hope (and I'm also growing Hope #2, just in case).
State of play: After a few days of looking sad and wilted inside, it finally got warm enough for them to go outside.
Zoom in: Because Iowa loves to blast us with gale-force winds, I got some stakes and cloth to create wind barriers to go around the pumpkins.
Friction point: There is a squinny living under the deck that has already wreaked havoc by digging tunnels underneath my brick landscaping.
- My spouse keeps suggesting buying a Red Ryder (no, I would actually shoot my eye out.)
- Do they like to eat squashes? I learned that you're automatically disqualified if your pumpkin gets a hole, lest you decide to cheat by pouring in water to make it heavier.
Countdown: 91 days until judgment day.