Some pumpkins are just too big for the porch. Consider Cathy Henning’s 411-pound bruiser, which won’t be grinning at trick-or-treaters Monday night.
But Henning is smiling big after winning a blue ribbon at the Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show for her behemoth gourd. The giant pumpkin, grown in Henning’s northwest Petaluma farm, was declared Best in Class for large pumpkins. It also won a purple Champion ribbon for best entry in the Harvest division.
“My pumpkin emanated from seeds originating in Nova Scotia; they were planted in pure compost — 24 years’ worth,” said Henning, an avid gardener who has created 2 acres of English country-style gardens on her 50-acre property.
“Sadly, the weather up there has been so wet in the past two years, they have not had a decent seed crop for those two years. Hence, almost no seeds available,” she said.
Henning had to use a friend’s crane to hoist the pumpkin from the field for its trip to Boonville for the fair in late September.
Henning’s squash is petite compared to the Guinness World Record holder, a 2,702-pounder grown in Italy last year.
Learn how to create habitat that attracts butterflies and caterpillars during a free workshop Nov. 5.
Master Gardener Suzanne Clarke will explain what butterflies need to survive and what home gardeners can do to help them. 10:30 a.m. to noon, at the Guerneville Regional Library, 14107 Armstrong Woods Road.
Visit sonomamg.ucanr.edu to register.
The nonprofit Daily Acts will offer a free program Wednesday outlining how to design and install a rain garden in your landscape.
Rain gardens help recharge ground water and reduce pollution by minimizing runoff. They also provide habitat for butterflies, birds and other pollinators while making soil healthier. And during droughts, rain gardens are an important design tool to help conserve water.
The event will be in person at the Petaluma Regional Library, but you also can tune in online. For those who attend in person, there will be a tour of the Petaluma Library Rain Garden from 5:30 to 6 p.m. The full presentation will run from 6 to 7 p. m. 100 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma.
To register for an online link and for more information, visit dailyacts.org.
Learn how to capture rain to reuse in your garden during a free program Tuesday from Santa Rosa Water and Daily Acts.
Participants will see how a rain-barrel system can be creatively designed and also be attractive.
The program will cover the environmental benefits of saving rainwater, how to design a small DIY system to fit any space and how to use the city of Santa Rosa’s Rainwater Harvesting Rebate to offset the cost.
Registration is required for the webinar, which will run 5:30 to 7 p.m. If you can’t attend the live online event, you can register to receive a recording of it after, along with resources to help you get started with your own system. Register at dailyacts.org.
Submit home and garden related news at least three weeks in advance of an event to meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com.
Features, The Press Democrat
Like most everyone, I love a good feature story that takes me somewhere I’ve never been or tells me something I don’t know. Where can I take you? Who in Sonoma County would you like to know better? I cover the people, places and ideas that make up Sonoma County, with general features, people profiles and home and garden, interior design and architecture stories. Hit me up with your tips, ideas and burning questions.
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