A long wait well worthwhile for the best fruit in the world. I love its sprawling vine across the allotment and its trumpeting yellow flowers. And then the beautiful orbs. Some lifted off the ground by bricks, some climbing trellis and poles. A few sat on top of compost heaps like kings of the plot.
Huge varieties like Cinderella or mini Munchkins. Some still green and some bright orange. Some alone, hiding under leaves or those in patches, huge groups of them I love to see.
Twisting them carefully off the vine, keeping a little handle and carrying them back home. Such a joy to line them up on a window sill. Streaks of green, still to ripen fully and spots of mud and the odd wart. I can gaze them for ages, I do not know where the obsession started.
This week has seen them at their best. A few for carving traditional style, jagged mouths and glaring eyes. Flesh and pulp used in soups, seeds roasted in spices and olive oil. The smell, the smell I breathe it in - autumn at its best. Friday night they will stand proud at the front of the house with tealights flickering and telling local children that there is promise of sweets in skeleton hands.
I'll keep the pumpkins around for a couple more days after that, until the first signs of rot. Job done for another year and still some pumpkin soup or stew to warm us up. Then it will be looking at the seed catalogues for the next year's display - Crown Prince, Hokkaido, Atlantic Giant, Wee B Little....
Cucurbit heaven.
Happy Halloween!
17 comments:
those are some beautiful looking pumpkins!! i too love their vines and their flower. we had a volunteer baby pumpkin grow on our balcony this past spring. i was very happy
Wow, that's an impressive collection of pumpkins! You've got enough there to make pumpkin pies for a year :) I'd like to grow some but we don't have enough space in the garden.
Now that's fabulous growing your own pumpkins...my kids would be absolutely thrilled.
I've been loving the pumpkin displays this year. It must have been good conditions for growing in. My brother has tried many times to grow pumpkins but has never been successful.
Happy Halloween! I love how you have brought the orangey goodness to us all this week - so nice to see them growing. I fear I'd be lurking over them, knife in hand after the one we were given has gone mushy on top before Halloween even begins - gah!
Thanks for joining in again m'dear x
We carved our pumpkin wee bit early so its starting to rot now in our house. I love their colors on the ground! So pretty! I love them as yam as well. You put coconut milk and sugar and just stir till cook and soft and gooey! #hdygg
These look amazing. I just bought mine. But enjoying munching on the toasted seeds
I love, love, love pumpkins and always grow lots of varieties. There is something so magical about setting that small seed in the soil in the Spring and come Autumn, a wonderful pumpkin awaits your harvesting hands. I am going to try and store mine in the loft room this year as last year it was too mild and they rotted and the year before I lost lots to harsh frosts!!
I am so in love with your Pumpkins. Great job!
Yeah last year I had a few that rotted - yuk! We were wondering where all the little flies were coming from. EEK!
Yum, yes pumpkin seeds toasted in olive oil and seasoning.
Ooh anything with coconut milk is lovely. I made a curried pumpkin soup with it last night.
I had a lot of mine eaten at the tender stage by slugs!
Making a pumpkin pie today ;)
Awww baby pumpkins are very cute. I'm going to try some smaller varieties next year.
Oops!
I have some pumpkin envy right now! Fab shots of fabulous pumpkins.
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