Pumpkin Pal

Art Fisher has a new love.

She's orange and weighs nearly 200 pounds.

No, Fisher is not dating an alien, he's bragging about his giant pumpkin that's sprouted in the backyard of his townhome.

"It's just me and the pumpkin," said the retired 69-year-old Dale City resident. "It's the last thing I look at when I go to bed and the first thing I look at when I get up."

Fisher's behemoth squash started as just one pumpkin seed planted in April. Others sprang up but rotted on the vine when they got to be more than a handful.

But not this one. The vine stretches nearly the length of his fenceline and the pumpkin itself can hold the 240-pound Fisher quite comfortably.

And based on its pale orange color, Fisher is convinced the pumpkin is still growing.

At first, Fisher didn't think his giant pumpkin was that big of a deal. But cashiers who knew him from a local Giant grocery store convinced him to tell people about it once they took a look at it.

Even before he grew the pumpkin, people have told him that he must have a green thumb. His indoor plant has literally sprouted the length of his kitchen, wrapping around his refrigerator. And tomato plants in his backyard grew a good 10 to 12 feet high last year, Fisher estimates.

But Fisher just laughs at the idea of his being an expert gardener and said the secret to his success is just plain old fashioned H20 and most likely some really fertile soil.

"I grew up in Chicago and the only thing we grow up there is snow and ice," laughed Fisher, who has lived in his current residence for the last seven years.

As big as Fisher's pumpkin is, it pales in comparison to this year's 1,725-pound Atlantic giant pumpkin in Jackson Township, Ohio, grown by Christy Harp. Harp's pumpkin is believed to be the largest in the world.

Harp used a mix of compost, coffee grounds and cow manure to grow her pumpkin.  Fisher just used some water and, of course, some TLC.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.