News Release
For Immediate Release — Sept. 26, 2011
Pumpkins, Gourds and Winter Squash…Oh My!
The University of Tennessee Pumpkin Display for 2011 will be unveiled at the annual Pumpkin Field Day on Thursday, September 29. The photo above, by G. Rowsey, features the 2010 display..
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JACKSON, Tenn. – There are pumpkin displays and then there is the UT Pumpkin Display at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center. With more than 5,000 pumpkins, gourds and winter squash artfully arranged in a mosaic of fall colors, the UT Pumpkin Display is the ultimate in outdoor autumn décor.
The display is comprised of more than 80 varieties of cucurbits all grown on the research center grounds. Of course there are several traditional jack-o’-lanterns, but there are also many unusual varieties including the black and white striped “Tux” gourds, the peculiarly textured “Goosebumps” pumpkin and the flamboyant “Pink Banana” squash, plus more in many different colors, shapes and sizes.
The UT Pumpkin Display will be unveiled at the annual Pumpkin Field Day on Thursday, September 29, 2011. If you come to the field day (which is absolutely free), you can learn about each pumpkin, squash and gourd from the display designer, UT Research Horticulturist Jason Reeves. But if you can’t make the field day, don’t worry. The display will be around through Thanksgiving weekend, and will be available for daily viewing from sunrise to sunset.
The UT Pumpkin Display is fun for kids and makes a great backdrop for family fall photos, but we ask that you please not move, sit or stand on the pumpkins when taking pictures.
You can find the display behind the main building at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center located at 605 Airways Boulevard, in Jackson. For more detailed directions or to view photos from past pumpkin displays, visit our website, http://west.tennessee.edu, or check out our Facebook page at “UT Gardens Jackson.”
The West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center is one of 10 research facilities operated by the UT Institute of Agriculture. In addition to its agricultural research programs, UTIA also provides instruction research and public service through the UT College of Veterinary Medicine and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.
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Contacts:
Dr. Bob Hayes, Director, West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, 731-424-1643, rhayes1@utk.edu
Ginger Trice Rowsey, UTIA Marketing and Communication Services, 731-425-4768, gtrice@tennessee.edu