So, DH is a professional pumpkin carver, and partial payment at one of the places he carves is a huge bag of different squash/gourds etc.
Last year I got this great big squash with "warts" all over it and it was my fall/winter centerpiece for the year.
DH cut it up when it started to get mushy and saved the seeds, then planted them in May or so.
The gophers were right there, until we put one of those chattering things out on the mound where they were growing and all was well!
Now we have a BUNCH of different squash! Some orange like a pumpkin, some green, some dark and light green striped, some dark green, some yellow and MANY with the cool warts!
We won't be eating them, cause they are being grown on a septic mound, but all of our friends will have very cool jack-0-lanterns or center pieces! Nancy