IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THAT AREN'T ANSWERED HERE, PLEASE CONTACT US!
How did Jersey Girl Pumpkins come about?
We’re lucky to live in a part of the world where the seasons change, and fall in New Jersey offers some of the most beautiful sights to see. I’ve always been impressed with the gorgeous displays I saw at the garden centers and local business entrances, until one day it finally hit me that hey! I could do that!
I’ve been an artist my entire life. I’ve worked in almost every medium from pencil to paint, acting to writing. I see “pumpkin décor” as simply another medium to explore, and I’m having a blast with it. There’s something really satisfying about getting the balance of colors and sizes just right, stepping back and making sure the composition has been executed perfectly. I hope you’ll agree.
How do I book a delivery?
Simply choose one of the packages on the products page along with any add-ons that you want. Once you complete checkout, your desired delivery week is locked in! You’ll receive an auto-response about your order, and we’ll follow up via email and/or text in the days leading up to your delivery date. If you’re unable to check out, that means either your chosen package or week has already been sold out. Booking always opens on November 1 for the following year, so mark your calendars. The early bird gets the pumpkins!
Do I need to be home to accept delivery?
Absolutely not! A week is a large window of time, and we certainly don’t expect you to keep yourself available waiting for the moment when we decide to show up. We don’t need access to anything beyond your front steps anyway, so as long as you’re cool with us working outside your home without your supervision, we’re fine with it, too.
We will always send an email to let you know you’re on the next day’s schedule, but that’s just common courtesy. Plus, if you live in a gated community, it’s a heads-up to tell the gatehouse we’re on our way. Lastly, it will be a nice reminder not to be startled when your door-cam starts pinging like crazy.
How long can I expect my pumpkins to last?
In cool fall weather, uncarved pumpkins can be expected to last a minimum of two months after having been cut off the vine, even longer if kept in a shady dry area free of soggy soil, wet grass, or composting leaves.
Freezing temperatures, however, can speed the rotting process—temps between 50° and 60° are ideal. Fingers crossed we don’t get another Snowtober anytime soon!
How can I keep animals from snacking on my pumpkin display?
There are a few environmentally-safe sprays you can purchase or even make at home to deter small critters and deer:
1. Spray or wipe your pumpkins with distilled white vinegar. The smell and taste are often overpowering for animals. (Re-apply after heavy rains!)
2. Steep a few cloves of garlic in a spray bottle filled with water overnight, then spray your pumpkins with the mixture to keep pests away. (Re-spray after heavy rains!)
3. Coat your pumpkins with vegetable oil. Most animals don’t like the sticky texture and won’t bother scratching beyond it to get to the fleshy bits beyond the skin.
All of the above methods—while by no means guaranteed—should at least help to keep local wildlife from snacking on your fall display while still allowing the pumpkins to be edible for farm animals come donation time.
IMPORTANT: While cayenne pepper, hot sauce, petroleum jelly, or even diluted bleach are other popular deterrents, they are very harmful to animals and Jersey Girl Pumpkins will not be able to donate the items if anything other than the suggested methods above have been used!
Are my pets safe around the pumpkins?
Anyone with a pet knows that they tend to get into everything and anything. While pumpkin flesh is very healthy for our furry family members, the stems are not, as they are a choking hazard and the spiky texture can actually prove damaging to their insides! Likewise, the skin, pulp, and raw seeds aren’t necessarily advised in mass quantities either. So, please don’t ever leave any pets unattended around your pumpkin display.
What does “proud sustainability advocate” mean?
Jersey Girl Pumpkins takes pride in the fact that we try to run our business as sustainably as possible. Since we’re working with organic materials, that makes things a little easier right from the jump. But rather than just allowing tons of pumpkins and hay to rot in a landfill, we’re happy to take the extra step and make use of the discarded displays once the fall holiday season is over.
We’ve teamed with a few local farms throughout our beautiful garden state to donate these items once you’re done with them, delivering everything from your front door to theirs. The hay gets used in the barns, and the pumpkins and gourds get fed to the farm animals.
That’s what sustainable means: Minimizing waste. Renewing resources rather than depleting them. Lessening environmental harm.
Every little effort helps. Thank you for yours. :)
How can I ensure my stuff will be eligible for donation?
Glad you asked, because there are a few guidelines:
1. Please visit the How can I keep animals from snacking on my pumpkin display? question above. It’s very important that you don’t do anything to the pumpkins or hay that will cause harm to any of the animals or the environment where they will end up.
2. Basically, please just utilize common sense. Avoid harsh chemicals, and be wary of conditions like uncleared leaves that could welcome excessive mold or extreme rotting.
3. You may decide to carve or paint some of your pumpkins. And that’s fine; that’s your choice! We'll still pick them up for you, but those pumpkins won't be eligible for donation.
While we aren’t expecting you to turn in pristine pumpkins 8 weeks after we’ve dropped them off, we do expect reasonable precautions to be taken. For example:
ACCEPTABLE: Animal scratch marks or bites, a few accidental cracks, some dirt, etc.
INELIGIBLE: Chemically-treated, painted, carved, smashed, excessively rotted or moldy, etc.
How can I ensure my stuff will be eligible for pickup services?
1. Please don’t dismantle the hay bales to scatter them around your property. I mean, you can do what you want, they’ll be yours after all. It’s just that we won’t be the ones raking up all those bits of straw for you when you’re ready to get rid of it. Intentionally dismantled and scattered hay will not be included with pickup.
2. Smashed pumpkins are also a no-go. Just because you're done with your pumpkins doesn't mean it's time for a free-for-all. (It's happened.)
Just FYI- If any of your items don’t meet the criteria outlined above, we will not be able to discount the pickup price for anything we leave behind.