Sustainable Organic Gardening

Pumpkin Paradise

This festive season, why not roast a crown of thorns as part of your Christmas dinner? Or hunt down Red October to use as a table decoration? It’s not as strange as it sounds – they are both varieties of pumpkin.

Pumpkin Display

Pumpkin display at Kew Gardens

Pumpkins – what lovable plants! With an incredible array of fruit shapes, textures and colours, they are as decorative as they are wholesome.

Pumpkin Reflection

A pumpkin pyramid reflected in a pond

So I was in pumpkin paradise visiting Kew Gardens in autumn this year: their ‘IncrEdibles’ kitchen garden event featured the most gorgeous, weird and wonderful assemblage of pumpkins I’ve ever seen. A pumpkin pyramid was spectacularly reflected in the pond in the waterlily house while outside, baskets, barrows, bowls and urns overflowed with pumpkins of every size, shape, colour and texture imaginable. It was glorious and opulent. There were carved pumpkins, painted pumpkins, pumpkin patches and pumpkin stories. Even the names sound like they are out of fairy tales: Turk’s Turban, Harlequin, Sunbeam, Yellow Bird, Sweet Lightning, Babyboo, Ghost Rider, Crown of Thorns, Autumn Wings. Even the Queensland Blue put in an appearance!

Pumpkin Carving

Modern take on pumpkin carving

The other focus of the IncrEdibles was Fungi – but that’s another story for another blog!

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2 Responses to “Pumpkin Paradise”

  • Jess says:

    Love the pumpkin pyramid! We are growing lots of pumpkins at our farm this year, some of the varieties include: Queensland Blue, Wee Be Little, Musquee De Provence, Waltham Butternut, Australian Butter, The Worlds Largest, and from Green Harvest: Jarrahdale, Golden Nugget, & Pepita. Not quite sure what we are going to do with all those pumpkins……lots of soup for winter maybe πŸ™‚

  • Lizzy Bishop says:

    Trying to grow Giant Pumpkins this year any tips..?


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