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

English

ISBN: 1596912782

EAN: 9781596912786

Category: Gardening / Vegetables/Crafts & Hobbies / Seasonal/

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Release Date: 08/28/2011

Synopsis: In the tradition ofWord FreakandConfederates in the Attic,a charming, witty account of a season in mad pursuit of the worlds largest pumpkin. Every year, the race to grow the biggest pumpkin in the world draws a rowdy crowd of obsessive gardeners to county fairs and weigh-offs across the country. The competition is furious; theres sabotage and treachery and the heartbreak of root rot, and many a weigh-off ends in tears. This year more than just the grand prize is at stake. The Holy Grail is within reach: the worlds first fifteen-hundred pound pumpkin. And Ron and Dick Wallace will stop at nothing to get it. Backyard Giantsfollows a tumultuous season in the life of a close-knit tribe of competitors as they chase down the ultimate pumpkin prize. In the grueling and gut-wrenching quest for truly colossal fruit, vacations are postponed, marriages are strained, and savings accounts are emptied. Backyards are converted into leafy laboratories of biogenetics and toxic chemicalsto say nothing of pumpkin sex. Riding shotgun with Ron and his father Dick,Wall Street Journaleditor Susan Warren brings to life a winning and unforgettable crew of pumpkin lunatics: the newbie who shocked everyone by growing the big one last year; the pro-bono slime scientist; the groundhog assassin; and the safety trainer who risked electrocuting himself to save his patch. Funny, sharp, and engaging,Backyard Giantsis a romp through a charming corner of American life, as quirky and enchanting as the big pumpkins themselves.

Excerpt: Unknown Property Excerpt

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

Illustrated: Yes

Format: Hardcover

Height: 1.0 inches

Width: 6.75 inches

Length: 9.75 inches

Weight: 18.77 oz

Pages: 1