Maybe this be the year that you carve a jack-o-lantern from a pumpkin that you grew in your own backyard. Squashes and pumpkins are members of the gourd family. Squashes and pumpkins originated in Mexico and Central America. They both produce a wide range of fruit colors and shapes. The key to success with these delicious vegetables is plenty of sunshine and thoroughly enriched, moist soil. Winter squashes, and pumpkins are quite easy to grow and need no great expertise for success. Constructing a tunnel support for gourds, squash or mini-pumpkins in your garden is a great way to try something new. Walking through and around the gourd tunnel is really a unique experience.