Denver metro

Denver's old porches were designed to hold something like this

Denver's pre war neighborhoods have some of the best display porches in the state, deep, raised, brick railed and set above the sidewalk. We deliver uncarved pumpkins to your address and build the arrangement in place, working around alleys and street parking.

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A Colorado porch pumpkin display running the length of a front walk near Denver.

What a Denver Square or bungalow porch will take

The Denver Square and the 1920s brick bungalow are the two houses we build on most often in this city, and both were designed with a porch that sits a few steps above the street. You usually get a solid floor, a brick or stucco half wall, square columns and a run of stone or concrete steps. That is close to ideal, because the half wall gives us a ledge at eye height and the steps give us three levels to work with. In Congress Park, Platt Park, Wash Park and Baker we tend to build up the steps and along the wall rather than out into the yard, which are often small. A Fairy Tale build fits a large Square comfortably. On a narrow bungalow, a Full is usually the right weight.

Park Hill, Central Park and the streets that get walked

Some Denver neighborhoods are genuinely walked in October, and Park Hill is the clearest example, with wide parkways, huge street trees and porches that face each other across the road. Central Park was built to a similar idea, with front porches pushed toward the sidewalk and garages moved to the alley, so the front of the house is the public face. On streets like these the display is seen from the opposite curb as much as from your own path, so we build symmetrically and keep the silhouette clean, because detail does not carry at that distance. On quieter blocks in Berkeley or Sloan's Lake, where frontages are narrower and cars sit closer, we build tighter and closer to the door.

Alleys, permit parking and getting to your door

Denver access is its own problem, and we plan for it. Many of the older neighborhoods have no driveway at the front, permit parking on the street and a narrow gate to the path. None of that stops a build. We carry everything in by hand, so a long walk from where we park is not an issue, and the arrangement goes together on your steps rather than arriving assembled. What helps is telling us in advance about a locked gate, a steep flight of stairs, a shared entry in a half duplex or a block where stopping is difficult on a weekday morning. With that information we schedule the build at a time that works, often earlier in the day in the denser central neighborhoods. We do not need access to the inside of the house at any point.

Mile high sun, dry air and the first hard freeze

At a mile up, the light is stronger than most people account for, and a south or west facing Denver porch takes a lot of direct sun through September. That is the main thing that shortens a display, more than cold. We place the softer varieties where they get afternoon shade and put the tougher, thicker skinned fruit in the exposed positions. The dry air here works in your favor, since low humidity slows the softening that ruins displays in wetter climates, and uncarved pumpkins are far more durable than cut ones because nothing is open to the air. Denver usually sees its first hard freeze in the middle of October, which firms a display up rather than ending it. An August build will still be standing at the end of the season.

Questions from Denver

We have no driveway and the block is permit parking. Is that a problem?

No. It is normal in central Denver and we plan around it. Tell us about the parking situation and any gate or stair access when you book, and we will pick a build time that suits the block. Everything is assembled on your steps, not delivered pre built.

We rent half a duplex. Can we still do this?

Yes, and we do a lot of it in Denver. We build on your half of the stoop and your side of the path, leaving the shared route clear. Check with your landlord first if the lease says anything about the exterior, since the display stays yours and is not removed by us.

How long will the pumpkins last on a Denver porch?

A build put in during August normally holds through the end of October. The pumpkins are whole and uncarved, so there is no cut surface to rot, and Denver's dry air helps. Direct afternoon sun is the main shortener, which is why placement by aspect matters on a city porch.