Backyard Giants: The Passionate, Heartbreaking, and Glorious Quest to Grow the Biggest Pumpkin Ever

Who says gardening is a gentle hobby? In "Backyard Giants," Ms. Warren takes us on a journey through the passionate and far-from-gentle world of competitive pumpkin growing. With a masterful eye for the telling detail and a narrative voice that sweeps the reader into this unusual world from the very first page, this is delightful and eye-opening read -- especially for those who've never wielded pruning shears or pored through garden catalogues at night.

This should be a must read for new growers considering trying their hand at growing giant pumpkins at the competitive level. There's no shortcuts and even if you do everything right, there's no sure bet you will have a pumpkin to show at the end of the season. Such is the case with many of the veteran growers who are profiled in this book. But the glory that comes with a ribbon winning giant keeps them pushing on past the disappointments. I enjoyed getting a more personal view of the famous growers you will see on the top list of winners and in the books by Don Langevin.

I didn't know much about giant pumpkin growing going into this book, but am now fascinated. I probably won't start growing myself, but I highly recommend Backyard Giants. Yes, it's about pumpkins, but it's also about the people who voluntarily slave over them. Great read.

There are some that say gardening contains all the drama of human life -- happiness and sadness, triumph and defeat, jealousy, hatred, life and death. Of course, there are some elements of gardening that contain all this and more. Such is the world of those hearty gardeners who attempt to grow the biggest pumpkin in the world. I received a review copy of Backyard Giants a few weeks ago, thinking that I might try it after finishing some other weightier business tomes. I wasn't sure what to expect from the title, but soon found myself immersed in a world I only vaguely knew. Sure, I had seen growers on television and in magazines, touting their humungous, over-grown "pumpkins", but I had never realized what goes on behind the scenes -- in the garden and in the clubhouses of gardening clubs -- across the country. Author Susan Warren hooked me from the first chapter as she introduces Ron and Dick Wallace, giant pumpkin growers from Rhode Island, the focus of the book. I immediately felt like I knew these men and were overhearing their conversations instead of reading them on the page. Warren puts the reader right their beside them as they create a new pumpkin patch, chose their seedlings and start another, summer-long, attempt at a world record pumpkin. Along the way we get to know their fellow growers, both local, national and, in the case of one Canadian grower, international. Throughout the book we look on as they pick, chose, change their minds, wonder and worry. Were they doing everything they can? Were they doing too much? Too little? Growing giants is a worrisome task and can lead to strained marriages and sleepless nights. We feel each triumph and each defeat as weather, wildlife and worry take their toll on both the gardeners and their charges. I didn't linger over Backyard Giants. I devoured it. I found myself pulled through the pages, wanting to know what happened to this grower or that. Would the Wallace's achieve their long-desired goals, or would their dreams be left to rot in the garden? I am sure others will think it odd that I find such drama in a gardening story, but at its very heart, this is a story of people. People who dare to dream Cinderella dreams of coach-sized pumpkins that earn the title -- the biggest pumpkin in the world.

...about the thrills and perils of gardening--in this case behemoth gourds. But absolutely enthralling for anyone who gardens, from dabblers with pots of herbs on window sills to master gardeners with acres of land to cultivate. The talented author spins a saga covering a year in the life of obsessive gardeners, and paints colorful and intriguing portraits of folks across the country who are addicted to growing gargantuan pumpkins! Funny, insightful and chock full of useful horticultural techniques and information. I frequently laughed at the ridiculousness of the whole thing yet was occasionally moved by the dedication of those pursuing this extraordinary hobby. Quite an amazing book.