You’ve heard of James and the Giant Peach, but have you heard of Michael and the Giant Pumpkin? Jamaica Plain resident, Michael DeMarco, is the man behind the mystery.
DeMarco grew the pumpkin over the summer for a weight-based Vermont gourd competition. Weighing a hefty 367 pounds, the pumpkin finished in tenth place.
Although it didn’t bring home the gold, DeMarco’s pumpkin went viral on Twitter and became a major talking point for New Englanders. What drew attention to his pumpkin was the combination of size and consideration for where it was grown.
Most of DeMarco’s competition involved pumpkins grown in vast rural Vermont farms or New Hampshire fields.
DeMarco grew an urban pumpkin. It reached an alarming size considering it was grown right in a Boston community garden.
DeMarco consulted the Mattapan garden manager before planting the seeds for the giant gourd this summer. The garden agreed and had to allot some extra space. It’s highly unusual that something grow this large in the constricted community gardens of Boston.