Pumpkin Fall Rainbow Blend

Cinderella - 110 days. (Cucurbita maxima.) This antique French variety probably originally bore a different name, but it acquired 'Cinderella' because the wide, flattened, strongly ribbed shape of the fruit is thought to have been the inspiration for Cinderella's coach in the fairy tale. Expect the pumpkins to weigh about 25 pounds each . . . and to become your very favorite for decorating the porch and house!

Casper - 108 days. (Cucurbita pepo.) Boo! All we can say about this ghostly white pumpkin is that it's the perfect do-anything size. At 10 to 16 pounds, it offers a good amount of ultra-sweet flesh for baking, but its smooth exterior and pale complexion makes it a natural for painting. And of course it's very stylish for decorating! Many white pumpkins are disappointing, but Casper is a celebrity!

Dickinson - 100 days. (Cucurbita moschata.) This is far and away the most popular variety for pumpkin pie filling, and one bite will convince you that you need never grow another pie pumpkin! Creamy, sweet, and yet meaty, it makes scrumptious eating. And at anywhere from 35 to 100 pounds, these fruits yield plenty of flesh as well as yummy seeds for roasting.

Jack o' Lantern - 60 days. (Cucurbita x hybrida.) Just for fun, these little 10-pound pumpkins will bring a smile to the face of all your trick-or-treaters! They have a bright orange rind that is smooth enough for easing carving, and they're portable enough to march up the porch steps or set in a row along the patio.

Pumpkins are exceptionally easy to grow, given adequate space and patience! Sow the seeds outdoors when danger of frost is past, or start indoors in peat pots. Plant the seedlings (or thin to) 3 to 5 feet apart. Pkt is 20 seeds.