Like something out of a fairytale, giant pumpkins have started cropping up in a Taylors Lakes backyard.
Retiree Ralph Mathews is bemused by the large pumpkins that have grown in his vegie patch this season, with one whopper weighing 16.2 kilograms.
The 61-year-old said this season had been his first attempt at growing pumpkins.
And so far he has grown multiple pumpkins weighing between 10 and 16 kilograms using only water, fertiliser and mulch.
Mr Mathews has dubbed the large vegetables ‘Cinderella pumpkins’. But despite their considerable size and weight, they’re not quite big enough to transport storybook princesses.
“We didn’t have much space in our backyard so I planted a small plot of pumpkin seeds,” he said.
“I’m not doing anything special … I’ve grown corn and tomatoes and some beans. I retired last year and have a bit more time on my hands so I’ve taken gardening a bit more seriously.
“We’re giving lots of [the pumpkins] to family and friends.”
Mr Mathews is not the only Brimbank green thumb to have success in home-growing gigantic vegetables.
Star Weekly has also reported metre-long Asian melons growing from a pergola in a Keilor Downs backyard and a 1.5-metre zucchini growing in the vegie patch of a Sunshine North family.
Related: Keilor Downs backyard melons a real big deal
