Around the yard

Pumpkins were my experimental crop this year, and the vines started dying back a few weeks ago, revealing quite a nice crop. They're starting to turn orange. I've put straw underneath each one to discourage rot, but I'm not sure if they'll last until October.
A gardening feature in a home magazine I was reading suggested mixing vining crops with perennials. Are they kidding? I may not be a "style maker," but in my experience, those perennials wouldn't stand a chance. I thought I allotted enough space for the pumpkins, they quickly took over the lettuce, the carrots and one row of zinnias and they're using the sunflowers as a trellis.
In other signs of autumn, there were two stink bugs on the screen door yesterday, and although I'm still putting out fresh hummingbird nectar, I think they've left us for the season.