I am such a sucker for a good carved pumpkin. So much so, that I dragged Ryan and my sister to the New York Botanical Garden to see their Haunted Pumpkin Garden. It was a two hour trip, one way. Talk about commitment

I soon realized that the Haunted Pumpkin Garden was a children’s exhibit – I guess when I think Haunted, I thought adult, but it didn’t spoil the fun. 

There were so many creative pumpkin carvings. I really had to control myself with the photos. Sorry for the image overload.

They had a pumpkin mushroom patch. How cute is that? You know how much I love mushrooms.

This exhibit was produced with the help of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth. They sanction all of those giant pumpkin contests. They’ll be displaying the world’s three largest pumpkins in Grand Central.  I couldn’t get a date, but I’ll be sure to keep a look out. It should be soon.

So, if it isn’t obvious, all of the pumpkins are fake, When I realized that, it was sort of like telling me there is no Santa Clause. I guess it makes sense. The pumpkins have to sit out for more than a month. Regardless, the entire exhibit was still magical.

The gardens themselves are stunning. They have paved paths and more rustic trails, which are great for taking a stroll or going on a run. The Bronx river even runs through it, so we walked along the water for a while and tried our skills at tree identification (our new hobby). It was hard to believe we were still in the city.

And the rose garden was blooming! How lucky were we?

The quiet paths and Autumn’s trees were exactly what I needed on a Sunday. Even waiting for the train ride home seemed peaceful and magical at dusk.