Escaping Pumpkin

Of all the plants we've planted in our vegetable garden, the sugar pumpkin has been the most fun.  It's been growing like crazy along our wire fence and has finally reached the privacy fence.  The plant is now over eight feet long.  It's still a single vine (I think that at some point they branch) with alternating large leaves and lots and lots of flower buds.  Even if we don't get any fruit from it, it's been fascinating watching it and seeing how much it can grow in a single day.

It's kind of cool that when you drive past our house, now, you can see the tip of the pumpkin vine straining over the fence.

The sugar pumpkin has large beautiful flowers.  So far, only the male flowers have been blooming, but I check every morning if any of the girls have opened up since I intend to give them a hand with pollination.  I had never really noticed any pollinating insects around our house, but the other day there was a big bumble bee rooting around the one flower that was opened.  The bee was black, but by the time it came out of the bloom, it was completely covered with yellow pollen.  So maybe the plants can take care of themselves.

Later that day, I told Magda and her friend Maia that in the morning I had seen a "tiny winged creature in the pumpkin flower".  When I asked the girls what they though I had seen, Maia pragmatically guessed I had seen a butterfly, but Magda excitedly-and a little hopefully-asked whether I had seen a fairy.


So far we've been lucky and our plants appear to be mostly pest free.  I did notice this bug on one of the female flower buds.  I'm not sure what it is, but the little fella seemed to like it there-he was still around when I checked the next day.  I'm leaving the insect for now, unless someone can tell me that he's bad new for my plants.