By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Scott and Trish Hart live fulltime at Lake Panorama in their home tucked into Andrew’s Cove. Trish, a photographer who specializes in celebrating outdoor scenes, snapped photos of colorful pumpkins at Deal’s Orchard near Jefferson.
Pumpkins are a symbol of the fall season, showing up in decorative displays, baked goods, special coffees and more.
Pumpkins are native to Central America. Indigenous peoples cultivated pumpkin as early as 3500 B.C., making it one of the oldest known crops. Pumpkins spread across North America and became a vital cool season vegetable for many native groups. The flesh and seeds could be roasted and eaten, and strips of dried pumpkin could be woven into mats.
The first version of a pumpkin pie was made when immigrants from Europe mixed milk, honey, and spices inside a pumpkin and baked it in hot ashes.
Most of the pumpkin grown in the United States is processed. It becomes pie filling, baking mixes, oils, coffee, ice cream, and even dog and cat food. Only about 20% of the pumpkins grown are sold whole for carving, decor or cooking.
Hart offers custom prints of her photos on canvas, paper, metal and glass. Learn more by visiting Nature’s Canvas Photography on Facebook.