Wheaton man grows his own pumpkins to carve

Forget wood.

Joe Adkins carves and sculpts masterpieces out of pumpkins that he grows himself.

So far, his Wheaton backyard has about a dozen regular-size pumpkins and a 200-pound hybrid. Most of the pumpkins will be transformed into elaborate carvings and sculptures that take more than an hour to create.

"I didn't even know I could do this until a couple years ago," Adkins said. "I just start carving, and it turns out to be whatever it's going to be."

Adkins, 33, says he always loved pumpkins - and their seeds. He started surface carving pumpkins about four years ago when his mom got him a carving kit.

On average, Adkins carves about 50 pumpkins every October. Sometimes he carves a face. Other times he creates an animal.

"I never get sick of it, and I really look forward to it every year," he said.

Adkins starts growing the pumpkins in April. He says he has a blast watching their aggressive growth cycle.

He practices the carving part of his hobby about 30 days each year.

"The growing is fun because it's all throughout the summertime," he said. "The carving is also very satisfying because it's very short-lived."

The pumpkin growing and carving hobby has turned into a small side business for Adkins.

Adkins, who is a massage therapist at Health Track Sports and Wellness in Glen Ellyn, sells his pumpkin masterpieces - which can be displayed for about two weeks - for between $30 to $50. He also gives pumpkins to businesses here and there, and even hosts pumpkin carving parties.

"The whole thing all just happened because of my mom," he said. "She knows what my passions are better than I do."

Pumpkin carving tips

Joe Adkins offers the following tips for would-be pumpkin carvers:

•Surface carving is all about practice, and especially takes a while to master the eyes and nose.

• Spray the outside of a surface carved pumpkin with polyurethane spray and preserve it for at least a week longer.

• While doing surface carving, don't open the inside. It will last much longer this way.

• Right before Halloween, open up the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and put a candle inside. The pumpkin illuminates.

• For those who grow pumpkins, pumpkin pie and roasting seeds and strips of the vegetable are good treats. Flowers that bloom on the pumpkin also are edible-just wash, fill the inside with cream cheese, dip in breading and deep fry. Growers can even boil the tip of the pumpkin's vine, and add a little soy sauce to the mix.