Pumpkins & Gourds at The Arbour

It all started last Sunday.  Rain was falling, the leaves were turning and Patti decided it was pumpkin and gourd day.  We piled into her car and headed north, rain coats and Wellies in tow.  Then all of a sudden, just outside of Everett, the clouds parted and there was the sunshine!  What seemed like a bad idea at first because of the weather, turned into a glorious day filled with good food and pumpkin gathering.

Our first stop was in La Conner for lunch at Seeds, a great little restaurant owned by the more well known Calico Kitchen.  A charming spot with a fantastic, inexpensive menu and amazing fries, Seeds is a must on a trip north.

After lunch, we ventured to one of Patti’s favorite shops ever, Go Outside.  Their book selection is unrivaled, as well as their little gift items and garden supplies.  You can even find Barbour jackets and vests.  The most inspiring part of the shop is how it is all presented and the friendliness of the people who work there.

Next stop, Christianson’s Nursery.  If you love Wells-Medina, you will love Christianson’s.  It’s almost never ending…

Then it was on to finding a great mix of interesting pumpkins, gourds and squash.  “The uglier, the better” is Patti’s motto when it comes to selecting them for the shop.  At one farm, they had stacked various sizes and colors of pumpkins and gourds on top of each other.  I could almost see the lightbulb over Patti’s head.

Voila…Pumpkin Topiaries at The Arbour!  Decide on your desired height and composition of pumpkins, drive a metal rod (the one we used is about ¼”in diameter) through the pumpkins one at a time using a hammer, starting with the one on the bottom, then slide them all on the rod.  Leave the stem attached to the one you want on top and push onto the rod.  Easy as can be!

Jen