Mae Powell, 101, shows off the 731-pound pumpkin she raised in the front yard of her San Marino home, which is by far the largest in her 10 years of growing gourds. It is in contention for awards at a competition set for Saturday, Oct. 3.
It’s great to have life goals at the age of 101, and it’s even better to exceed them.
That combination of phenomena recently took place for San Marino’s Mae Powell, who from this day forward should have a notable prefix tacked to her name. Maybe something like “San Marino’s champion pumpkin grower, Mae Powell.”
But she has been a champion ever since she entered the world of competitive pumpkin-growing a mere decade ago. This year, Powell has pulled off something special.
“Seven hundred and thirty-one pounds,” the spry resident said last week shortly after a bevy of friends and supporters had departed the Gainsborough Drive home where she has lived since 1963.
Powell has entertained neighbors and community members with her unique hobby, which at first glance seems totally incongruous with her urban neighborhood. But each year, kids of all ages flock to see what Powell’s handiwork has wrought in a pilgrimage that signals the unofficial beginning of the Halloween season, which she says is her favorite time of year.
Though she has been a gardener all of her life — “lemons, oranges, tomatoes, zucchini … other stuff” — Powell leaped out of her comfort zone when she read a newspaper article “about a guy who grew a huge pumpkin.” Powell did what most of her generation would do to learn more about the fascinating avocation:
She wrote him a letter. A couple more exchanges and $10 later, Powell was in possession of a prized super pumpkin seed and she was in business. Her pumpkins have varied in size over the past decade, reaching the 300-pound mark a few years ago.
“My goal was 500,” Powell said enthusiastically.
Friends prepare Mae Powell’s pumpkin for the official weighing-in ceremony.
This year’s behemoth probably passed the 500-pound mark sometime in June on its way to Powell’s personal record, which was written on a placard attached to the 731-pound monster.
“I am so happy with it,” Powell beamed. “I never dreamed it would be this large, but I love it.”
She said the keys to success are “full sun, lots of water and TLC,” short for “tender loving care.”
A really solid seed helps, too. Similar to how Powell received a champion seed from her early pen pal, seeds to giant pumpkins are sold, traded and auctioned.
“The secret is to start with a big seed that has been handed down from a 1,000-pounder or an 800-pounder,” she said knowingly. “If you can do that, you are bound to get a big one.”
Powell said that growers have already asked her for seeds from this year’s behemoth, which will remain intact for at least several more weeks. True to her annual ritual, Powell will donate the pumpkin to the Huntington Library, where it is enjoyed by youngsters in the Children’s Garden.
Rocky, Kass, Kathleen, Mae and Jeff Powell attend the weigh-in for Mae’s 731-pound pumpkin.
Powell raises the pumpkins in her front yard and is ably assisted by fellow growers Kevin Donahue of Mission Viejo, Chris Dunn of Torrance and Mike Prager of Ontario. Though all are vying to produce the largest offspring, the giant-pumpkin-growing community is legendarily communal. The trio were on hand last Thursday for the big moment. They represent the Irvine Park Railroad’s Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off, which will be held this year on Oct. 3. Powell has won multiple age-group competitions but might be in for more on that day.
Her friends Ann Blomstrom and Muffy Hunt are also especially supportive. Hunt distributed glass pumpkins at last Thursday’s gathering that she had created herself.
In the competitive realm, pumpkins have to weigh more than 2,000 pounds to be considered significant. But as recently as 30 years ago, the winner was a comparative runt at just 433 pounds. A new record has been set every year since 2008 and some feel that
Jim Folsom, the Telleen/Jorgensen Director of the Botanical Gardens at the Huntington, was there as well and serves as a sort of spirit guide to Powell.
For the past 10 years, San Marino’s Mae Powell has grown giant pumpkins in the front yard of her Gainsborough Drive home.
“She’s fabulous,” said Folsom. “I guess you could say that life begins at 90, which is when she started growing these giant pumpkins. What a lesson for people, that you can always reinvent yourself and learn and grow and be a part of the community.”
Folsom said that one of the important aspects of pumpkin growing is identifying those who have potential and moving the smaller gourds, which might contend for resources.
“Mae is a wonderful person,” said Folsom. “She is such a generous person and I admire that she wants to share with the Huntington. Hers is a fabulous story, and these days we all need a fabulous story.”
