Gardeners, and especially those of us who go that extra step and blog about it, tend to be obsessed. We'd rather be out in the garden than almost anywhere else, and I know I've personally been known to ignore anyone who wasn't bleeding when in a gardening frenzy. Maybe that's why I was so engrossed in Wall Street Journal editor Susan Warren's new book, Backyard Giants. When I received my advance review copy of the book, I admit to being a little unsure about the whole giant pumpkin business. Don't get me wrong--every year at our state fair, I marvel along with countless others at the sheer size of these monsters. But would I really want to read 240 pages worth of giant pumpkins?

The answer turns out to be a resounding YES!

Warren follows the tracks of a father and son giant pumpkin growing team through an entire season of growing. We get to spy on each and every step of the process: sowing the seeds, watching them grow, preparing the soil, the extremely turbulent growing season, and, finally, judgment day, when we find out if all of the work, frustration, and stress paid off. Backyard Giants reads like a novel, with just enough horticultural information to keep gardening nuts happy. It is full of quirky, fascinating people who I would personally love to have as neighbors: the grandfatherly pumpkin grower who wants to help everyone and anyone, the intense grower who has sworn that this is his do-or-die year, the soil scientist who finds himself swept up in the fervor, and a multitude of other growers, each with his or her own quirks and stories.

Two things in particular fascinated me about the book. First, I learned a lot about pumpkin growing in general, and as you have seen from this year's travesty, I need all the help I can get. Second, I was amazed to learn that seeds of giant pumpkins, especially those that win weigh-offs, go up for auction, and that a single seed (with no guarantee of germination) can go for over $200. For ONE seed! The amount of time and money that giant pumpkin growers put into their obsession is astounding. The scary thing is, I get it. And I have the feeling plenty of you do, too

On to the more ethical issues (for lack of a better term) of giant pumpkin growing. I've heard/read people say that giant pumpkins are "unnatural." Pumpkins were never meant to grow that big. For some, that is a black mark against the hobby, to which I say: Nothing about gardening is natural, anyway. There is nothing natural about rows of petunias or clumps of perfectly spaced irises. Each of us has our own vice. For some (ahem...) it's lilacs. For others, it's giant pumpkins. Whatever. Go for it. Another issue, and a valid one, is the amount of fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides (not to mention water) that giant pumpkin growers use to keep these behemoths growing. I was happy to see that the growers featured in Warren's book were extremely respectful, if not downright worshipful, of healthy soil. Testing and amending the soil, fertilizing with manure, compost, and compost tea, and using manual methods to kill the dreaded squash vine borer were all regular practices by these particular growers. The sprays did come out, of course, but not nearly as often as I thought they would.

So, maybe by now, y'all know me well enough to suspect that I'm getting hooked. I found myself pondering whether I have the space to try growing a giant, and even (blasphemously) considering what would happen if my gigantic silver maple were to suddenly be cut down. For the time being, I'll have to push any giant pumpkin dreams to the back burner. I just don't have the space or the time. And, I don't know if my nerves can take it

I highly recommend taking a look at Backyard Giants: The Passionate, Heartbreaking, and Glorious Quest to Grow the Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Susan Warren. Be warned, though: you may become hooked!

For more info about giant pumpkin growing, take a look at:
bigpumpkins.com--many of the growers that Ms. Warren profiles in the book are active on this site. The grower diaries are addictive!
Backyard Giants-- companion website to the book Backyard Giants. Warren chronicles her own attempts at giant pumpkin growing, and provides even more links about growing giants.
Organic Gardening article about growing organic giant pumpkins. Yes, it can be done!