ooooh  have to share an idea with you all...

A family member of one of my elderly patients just brought in a home-made gift for the nurses station.

She'd taken a medium-sized pumpkin (about 14 inches across), an cut the top 1/3 off horizontally.  She then scooped out the majority of filling, leaving about 1.5 inches of rind and pulp inside.  She then lined the pumpkin with a fine layer of moss, then filled it with potting soil.  Inside she planted a Beautiful brown and orange streaked chrysanthemum from a 6 inch pot, purchased at the local grocery store. 

What a beautifully unique and special gift!

I can't wait to make one for my sister, and take it as a hostess gift when we go down to her place for thanksgiving!

On the lines of nightowl's idea with planting the mum in the pumpkin, as a florist, we scoop the pumpkins clean and put a fresh arrangement in them, putting two sticks into the underside of the cut-off top and fastening it to the side of the pumpkin, kind of cock-eyed, for decoration. They are sooo pretty, and then you can throw the container out so as not to add to the millions of vases and baskets most people seem to have a collection of!

Yes, I must say that "thingy-eyed" is definetly an expression that I have never used before!  For those who might read and not understand what thingy-eyed is (I laugh every time I type it !), maybe i can replace it with the term "lop-sided", you know, just kind of off to the side. 

...thingy-eyed...he, he, he....

Hi!

OOOOPS! No everyone knows my name?

Manegirl