Picture this: last autumn, walking down Rutland Road, a cool breeze in my red hair, a low humidity bounce in my Docs, and a crisp throat clearing from the autumn leaf dander, that was when I spotted it: a sad, slumped pumpkin rotting away in a tree bed. Its carved smile had collapsed into something grim, and a puddle of orange goo was seeping into the dirt, seeds spilling about. It hurt all three of my feelings. Right then and there I made a promise: no pumpkin in New York City goes uncomposted. Okay, Brooklyn. Fine—let’s start with PLG and work our way up from there, and this is my call to action, decomposers.

Here’s the thing about pumpkins: once the season of apple-cider donuts and pumpkin-spice everything winds down, they don’t just magically disappear. (That would be cool though.) Instead, they sit. They sag. They rot in front yards, on stoops, and yes, in tree beds. But when a pumpkin is composted, it becomes something completely different. All that stringy pulp and softened rind breaks down into nutrient-rich soil, full of microbes and organic matter that feed back into our gardens.

It’s the perfect life cycle: festive porch decoration one week, future plant (and worm) food the next. Pumpkins have purpose, and we are the stewards. Plus, think of the red wigglers! Don’t you think our worm friends want to chow down on some pumpkin delight? Maybe they’re as basic as us!

And it matters, because pumpkins are everywhere in the autumn. We carve them. We stack them. We pick them from fields, paint them in preschool, balance them in grocery carts, and lug them home from the farmer’s market. They’re the backbone of autumn in New York. But by November 1, every one of those cheerful orange globes is facing the same fate: to rot in place, or to return to the earth in a way that actually does some good.

Which brings me to our latest garden adventure. On Saturday, October 25th, from 11am to 2pm, MSCG is hosting the Portraits and Pumpkins Party. Think fall harvest festival meets photo day with a side of pumpkin obsession. There will be pumpkins (obviously), crafts with local artist Ellie D’Eustachio (@madebyelliebk), baked goods, neighbors mingling, and mini-photo sessions (both instant and digital) so you can finally get that frame-worthy shot of yourself in costume, (or your kids, if you dare) against our gorgeous MSCG autumn blooms. Basically: cozy, festive chaos—the best kind.

And don’t worry, the fun doesn’t stop there. On Saturday, November 1st, we’ll be back at the bins in costume, ready to rescue your sagging jack-o’-lanterns. Bring us your moldy, your cracked, your slumped-over pumpkins yearning to breathe free of the landfill. Drop them in our buckets and watch them begin their new life as compost. It’s messy, it’s seasonal, it’s weirdly satisfying, and it means fewer rotting pumpkins haunting our neighborhood tree beds.

So here’s my invitation: join me in this extremely specific campaign. Let’s make sure no pumpkin in PLG goes uncomposted this autumn!

That’s the soil, for now.

With grit & gratitude,

Jess Frost

MSCG Communication Committee

No Pumpkin Left Uncomposted