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Plant Talk

Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Giant Pumpkins: They’re Here!

Posted in Around the Garden on October 19 2011, by Ann Rafalko

The world’s four biggest pumpkins are now all safely ensconced in the Bronx.

The first two to arrive flew in from California, and were fetched from the American Airlines cargo hold at JFK this morning.

Brant Bordsen's 1,693 pound pumpkin at JFK
Brant Bordsen's 1,693 pound pumpkin at JFK

Leonardo Urena’s 1,704 pounder and Brant Bordsen’s 1,693 pounder arrived at the Garden on the back of a flatbed truck around lunchtime.

The pumpkins in the back of the Garden's truck
The pumpkins in the back of the Garden's truck

Shortly before 2 p.m. the Brysons and the Stelts’ met-up in New Jersey and caravaned across the George Washington Bridge (if anyone snapped pix, we would love to see them!).

The Stelts' 1,807.5 pound pumpkin
The Stelts' 1,807.5 pound pumpkin

Dave and Carol Stelts drove their pumpkin to the Garden from Edinburg, Pa.

Kelsey and Jim Bryson's record-setting 1,818.5 pound pumpkin
Kelsey and Jim Bryson's record-setting 1,818.5 pound pumpkin

Kelsey (pictured above), her dad Jim, and her brother Jason drove their world record-setting pumpkin down from Ormstown, Quebec, Canada.

The giant pumpkins will officially go on display to the public on Friday, October 21. They will be here as part of the Haunted Pumpkin Garden through October 30. This weekend, October 22-23, Ray Villafane will be carving two of the pumpkins into one supremely spooky sculpture. Next weekend, October 29-30, Michael Natiello will be carving the other pumpkins, releasing the beasts within! It’s spooky good fun for the entire family! And please, tweet us your pumpkin pictures! We’d love to see them.