Posts Tagged ‘World’s Biggest Jack-O’-Lantern’

Three, It’s a Magic Number

Posted in Programs and Events on October 28th, 2010 by Plant Talk – Be the first to comment

World's Heaviest PumpkinWhen life hands you three giant pumpkins, you might as well carve them into jack-o’lanterns! Really, really big jack-o’-lanterns.

This Friday and Saturday, World Record-holder Scott Cully (who will be carving the current World’s Heaviest Pumpkin) will be joined by Michael Anthony Natiello, the carver behind the 500 pumpkins decorating The New York Botanical Garden‘s Halloween Hoorah and creator of the Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze at the historic Van Cortlandt Manor.  Michael will be carving the 1,725 pound runner-up pumpkin.

Natiello’s collaborator Sara Mussen will be on hand on Friday to carve the third pumpkin, a 1,674.5 pounder grown by Steve Connolly.

The Inside Scoop: Giant Pumpkin Growers

Posted in Programs and Events on October 27th, 2010 by Plant Talk – 2 Comments
Rustin Dwyer is Visual Media Production Specialist at The New York Botanical Garden.

Do you have giant pumpkin fever? Can you not wait to dig your trowel into the earth and take a stab at growing your own World Record-setter?

Us, too! So we went straight to the source and asked the growers of the three behemoths currently calling The New York Botanical Garden home for their best growing tips.

Here’s what they had to say:

Carving the Great Pumpkin

Posted in Programs and Events on October 26th, 2010 by Plant Talk – Be the first to comment
Ann Rafalko is Director of Online Content.

The world’s heaviest pumpkin is calling The New York Botanical Garden home for just a few more days. And while its entrance was grand, its exit will be spectacular!

Beginning Friday, October 29, world-renowned pumpkin carver, and current holder of the Guinness Book‘s World Record for largest jack-o’-lantern, Scott Cully will be at the Botanical Garden to carve the 1,810.5 lbs beauty. The carving, which will take approximately one hour per 100 lbs. will continue through Sunday, October 31 (also known to some as Halloween!).

What will the pumpkin end up looking like, and will Cully break his own World Record? Only time will tell. But we do love daydreaming here at the Garden. So to get your imagination going about what the great pumpkin might end up looking like, we thought we’d share a few pictures of Cully’s past creations.


Learn more about the giant pumpkins here, here, and here. And to plan your visit for this fascinating Garden experience, click here.