A harvest display of hundreds of pumpkins, squash and gourds, featuring more than 500 varieties, is part of a patch beside the AppleHouse at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a 1,200-acre facility spanning Chaska and Victoria and is operated by the University of Minnesota. It has a pumpkin harvest display, as first reported by FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. The Arboretum was established on 160 acres in 1958 on land owned by Dr. Herbert Berens, whose family later sold additional acreage, according to the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The current pumpkin, squash and gourd pile sits beside the AppleHouse.
The AppleHouse storefront sits beside the harvest pile. The pumpkins, squash and gourds are also displayed throughout the broader Arboretum grounds.
The Horticulturists Behind the Harvest
The sprawling collection of more than 500 varieties doesn't just appear on its own. It's cultivated and managed by horticulturists John and Jenny Thull at the University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center, according to the Arboretum's own account of the display. The team also develops recipes for the edible squash varieties in the mix.
That research center has deep roots. It was established to develop crops and plants suited to a northern climate, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. That breeding work eventually produced well-known fruit cultivars, including the Haralson apple in 1922 and the Honeycrisp apple in 1991. Proceeds from AppleHouse crop sales go directly toward funding that ongoing horticultural research.
A Concurrent Glass Pumpkin Attraction
The Arboretum Auxiliary hosted its sixth annual Glass Pumpkin Patch from Sept. 18 to Sept. 19, displaying more than 6,200 handcrafted glass artworks made by 12 U.S. glass artists, according to Northern Gardener. That event took place at the nearby Farm at the Arb and raised funds for Arboretum programs.
Minnesota's Pumpkin Season
Minnesota's harvest fits within a broader statewide agricultural calendar. MyWild gives Sept. 12 through Oct. 31 as a typical range for Minnesota's pumpkin harvest, while noting that farms determine whether they're picking on a particular day.
