I only ended up with ONE... , but at least, a very suitable carving candidate for the front porch. I had about 10 strong plants growing since July, but eventually they were decimated by powdery mildew, drought/sun-scorching, pests... also insufficient pollination. I've cleared out the rest to make room for possible peas and more tomatoes. I tried a combination of container-sprouted, and direct seed-in-ground back since May & June. The only one that came up successfully survived the onslaught of ground pests, safely hiding and crawling along a shady structure with plenty of tomatoes around it. However, during their growth they were extremely beautiful so not all was lost. I have to say, pumpkin plants are underestimated in the beauty department - particularly when young.