For unclear reasons, it’s become hip this year in garden design circles to plant a mini decorative farm in front of million dollar houses in exclusive neighborhoods, a giant pumpkin, some sunflowers, maybe a gourd. Whatever the reason, there’s really only one thing to do with those giant pumpkins and it’s best to do it before you have 300 lbs of moldy orange stuff – enter it in a giant pumpkin contest.  Of course if just really into pumpkins as opposed to nouvelle jardin that’s cool too.

California offers Pumpkinmania on Oct 25, complete with a blog so you can get an idea of the competition (it’s pretty fierce) or maybe order the t-shirt if you can’t make it there in person.

Or just check out the entire list of pumpkin weigh-offs, it’s extensive and note that the places that get cold early have already done theirs in September (everyone else is hoping for an extra couple of pounds)

Okay, so like me you probably have been putting off growing giant pumpkins until a few other things get done, but if 2010 is going to be your year – here’s a directory of seed sources and growing tips (good luck!)

To the best of my knowledge there is no such thing as a tropical peat bog.  So I suppose that if you are a community with a peat bog that is no longer considered ideal for human sacrifice or worthy competition for central heating you might try to come up with some novel way to make a tourist attraction out of it – which would not only be a challenge but also the nearest possible best excuse I can come up with for how bog snorkelling ever came into existence.

Previously I had been under the impression that snorkelling existed so you could see things under water – not something a dense and lifeless bog is likely to provide so I’m probably still missing some of the critical details. Based on the Youtube video, it may be more about the chance to wear costumes?  With table tennis making headway as an Olympic sport, this could be next…

Think of it as a more earth-bound X Project. The goal is for a human-powered flying machine to go more than 100 meters off the designated English pier for a reward of 30,000 pounds.  They’ve been trying since the competition’s inception in 1971 and now there’s a mascot, 3 classes of entry (2 serious and 1 where costumes come into play.)  I’m not sure what they’ll do if someone ever actually wins the prize. You do have to apply to compete – mostly because there’s a narrow window between the tides and I guess that says the expectation is most will not get far from the pier.

For more info, see the International Worthing Birdman site.

I guess ‘people that look like their pets’ is now passe.  It’s now all about styling to look like your favorite Muppet.  And the comments to that post prove that Sam the Eagle really does have an odd sort of sex appeal.

Also in the news: Beaker’s rendition of Ode to Joy (below) has been nominated for Best Music Video in this year’s Webby Awards. Hopefully it won’t go to his head.