Tehama - The Magazine - Red Bluff Daily News
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/195321
"Each year we keep an eye out to see if there's a new one we like," says Kathy of the various varieties grown on their 5 acres dedicated to pumpkins and gourds. New this year is a warty gourd that appears to bleed black. Not for the faint of heart, this one adds a spookier feel to autumn decorating. Of the large varieties, the biggest pumpkin the family has grown weighed in over 100 pounds. Most are between 50 and 75 pounds. "We haven't mastered that part yet," laughs Kathy of the idea of growing a recordbreaking giant pumpkin. Pumpkin season coincides with walnut harvest, of which the family also has responsibilities, so the attention to giant pumpkins isn't on their radar. All pumpkins at Julia's start from seeds planted in early June and then transplanted from early July through the middle of the month. Staggered planting ensures that they can be harvested at peak growth for visitors throughout the month of October. New this year is a pumpkin house, a structure of wood shelves that allow pumpkins to fill in as walls. Not only does the building provide shade to preserve the pumpkins, but offers a stunning backdrop for photos. Across Highway 99 and just down the road from Julia's is Pumpkinland, now known for chocolates but once the go-to place for pumpkins in the area. Opened in 1972, Pumpkinland got its start as a youpick pumpkin venture that helped the four children of Wayne and Jean Brown earn money and learn responsibility. It held a Wizard of Oz theme and attracted families from near and far for hayrides and family entertainment under a circus tent. Kathy Brandt of Julia's got her start as a Pumpkinland "Dorothy" at the tender age of 7. "It was my first introduction to pumpkins and Pumpkinland," she says of her very early experiences in a pumpkin patch. She and her sisters each spent four to five years in costume adding to the festivities. Today the pumpkin patch is gone and the business is known for handmade chocolates created by one of the Brown's grown children, son Sean. The name remains, along with the logo of a smiling pumpkin, but is more commonly found on labels of candy boxes. October, 2013, Tehama - the Magazine 21