Grow Weird Pumpkin Varieties for Halloween Decorations
by While standard pumpkin choices like Connecticut Field make great jack o’ lanterns, more unusual varieties can inspire cool Halloween decorations. Create a one-of-a-kind Halloween lantern with a strange or bizarre homegrown pumpkin.
Choosing pumpkin seeds for fall decorations or Halloween carving usually means sowing a few classic carving pumpkin varieties. A more exotic choice, however, can provide the basis for a truly unique jack o’ lantern.
Cool Colors
Medium-sized pumpkins, like the ghostly blue-grey Jarrahdale, are an exotic choice for ambitious carvers or pumpkin enthusiasts, while mini-ghostly favorites Baby Boos are miniature pale white pumpkins popular for handpainting at Halloween.
For a stripey mini pumpkin perfect for painting, a Turk’s Cap pumpkin features a turban-like top striped red and white. Experienced or adventurous carvers can cut and lift the “cap”, scrape clean inside, then carve and add a light for a tiny lantern.
Weird Choices
For a small size, try the strange and warty heirloom variety known as the Turner Family pumpkin, perfect for “deformed” jack o’ lantern faces. The unusual Fortna pumpkin is pear-shaped and white — perfect for carving or painting “ghosts”.
American Tonda features the traditional orange skin but with vertical green stripes along the pumpkin’s “ribbing”.
Giant Size
For a traditional jack o’ lantern giant, Big Max grows huge pumpkins which can exceed one hundred pounds. The bright orange flesh resembles the standard Halloween pumpkin choice.
For unusual giants, try the rare heirloom choice known as the Mammoth Chile. With potential weight of one hundred pounds, the pumpkins featuring a pinky-orange skin with a mottled pattern.
An unusual jack o’ lantern can create quite a display in your window or on your porch this fall. Show off your green thumb (and your unique taste) with a few exotic varieties in your garden.
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