Dear Prudence

Did you know The Beatles have a song titled Dear Prudence? It is from 1968 and was written by John Lennon about Prudence Farrow, the sister to Mia. Not one I am too familiar with but it might now be a favorite.

Dear Prudence, won’t you come out and play? Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day. The sun is up, the sky is blue, it’s beautiful and so are you.

Such simple words.

Dear, Prudence, thank you for growing so big and strong. (not part of the song)

Of course, if you don’t know- I am talking about my first-ever pumpkin child. If you don’t follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you might be wondering why I have flipped over a pumpkin? (you might be wondering either way?)

This infatuation has been years in the making. Cameron and I used to throw my fall pumpkins in the pasture to see if the horses would eat or play with them. (they never did) Year after year, the day after Thanksgiving when we were decorating for Christmas, we discarded them in the pasture. We would always have a vine or two emerge. And perhaps a bright, yellow flower. But nothing more.

Then I started putting them in an empty flower bed. Year after year, I would water and baby them. I would get a few vines and a few bright, yellow flowers. But nothing more.

Last December, we decided to move the cast-off pumpkins to the backyard, to a flowerbed. When the vines started sprouting, I again watered and babied them.

And then boom.

I had massive vines. Spanning the entire flowerbed, overtaking the rose bush, spilling out into the grass and eventually over the deck and spreading its vine all over the deck.

It was crazy. I started to get hopeful. I turned to Google. I learned all I could about pumpkin patches and growing and pollinating. And bees.

The first few flowers were male. I had to learn all about male and female flowers. Yes, there is a huge difference just like in all the other creatures God created. Nature is impressive.

Also, there are way more males than females. Males have long green stems. Females have a tiny green pumpkin under them.

I soon learned that the flower, both male and female, close after a few hours. I also soon learned that it seemed we didn’t have any bees.

I had to take nature in my own hands. (Google told me that! Google is the new “they say…”)

I had to put on my virtual overalls and go to farmin. (read that with a thick, country accent)
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Per Google, you must cut a male flower with good pollen (it falls on your finger when touched). Cut all the petals off, deep into the flower so only the stamen is exposed. And the weird, disturbing, look-around-to-see-if-anyone-is-looking part—insert the male stamen into the female flower. Yep.

Bees, please!

Now do you see why I love Prudence so much? I made her. Me and the male and female flower were in this together. And God.

When I saw Prudence was beginning to grow, literally almost immediately, I had so much pride, joy, and love for that little green orb.

Deedee’s Pumpkin Patch was now a thing.

Mark was right there in the involved and excitement part with the patch. He would take the pups out in the morning, search the patch and tell me to ‘get up and get to farming’! It was fun for both of us to search for female flowers and watch them grow after they were pollinated. My girls, Danni and Cameron, would also ask for pictures of Prudence.  It was a family thing. (except Alex-haha)

Charli and Martha helped, also.

One day, I cut a male flower off because I was about to get busy (you have to joke about it!) pollinating and you will understand my excitement and surprise when I saw a bee inside the male flower! Bees!

We now have three large growing pumpkins and several infants growing. I would have thought with the large, vast patch-we would have more than that. (I suppose this isn’t a bumper-crop year?)

We harvested Prudence and it appears she may be a Musque de Provence or a Fairytale pumpkin. I love her even more.

I now have pumpkin fever. Not your White-Girl-I-love-everything-pumpkin-flavored fever, it is the love of a pumpkin patch. The love of growing something from the dirt. The love of nature and knowing God had his hand in all this or it would not have happened.

I’ve always had plants and flowers inside and out, but this is so different. So much better.

Dear Prudence, thank you for showing me I can grow something beautiful with my own hands.

Love and blessings~dd