It's not that things don't look promising in the pumpkin patch. They do. Eight plants have sprouted and they look healthy. I have every reason to feel optimistic.
But then . . . I was at my local garden centre on the weekend. Taking advantage of some discounts. And I saw them. There on the vegetable shelf. Between the tomato plants and the summer squash. A few remaining pumpkin plants. A bit tired and pale. But certainly capable of surviving. Maybe even thriving. I had seen them earlier in the season of course. When they were more plentiful. But I passed them by then, preferring to begin this year's pumpkin adventure directly from seed.
Now, however, I began to have second thoughts. They appeared to have a head start on the recently sprouted plants in my yard. It wouldn't hurt to buy a few. For added variety. And to increase my chances of pumpkin success. They were smaller varieties. But then again, my "large" pumpkins didn't grow particularly large last year. So four new plants accompanied me home.
I hope the Great Pumpkin doesn't interpret this as a lack of sincerity.