Today is Halloween and whether you agree with the traditions of the day, there is no denying that pumpkins are great ‘vegies’. They are easy for kids to grow, they make delicious soups and scones and they are fun to carve. Here are ten facts about pumpkins you may not know – make sure you share them with the kids!

1. The largest pumpkin grown on record weighs in at over 920 kilograms! This record was only set recently.
2. Pumpkins are thought to have originated from North America.
3. Pumpkins are sometimes used to make a sweet pie and eaten on Thanksgiving in North America. They are also carved to make jack-o-lanterns for Halloween.
4. Pumpkin tastes delicious in many other sweet and savoury dishes. Pumpkin can be used to make scones, breads, soups and curries. It can be baked, boiled, mashed or steamed. Pumpkin seeds are also a tasty snack.
5. The name pumpkin comes from the Greek word ‘pepon’ which means ‘large melon’.
6. They can be grown in pots and in the garden.
7. Pumpkins are high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, dietary fibre and potassium.
8. Pumpkin plants produce both male and female flowers that need to be pollinated in order for them to grow.
9. Pumpkins are actually a type of fruit. This is due to them developing from a flower and containing seeds.
10. Pumpkins are a member of the squash family which also includes zucchini.

Pumpkins grow over the summer months and are usually ready to harvest in autumn. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about starting your own pumpkin patch. The pumpkin seeds we sell are an organic heirloom variety meaning you can safely save the seeds from the pumpkins you grow this year and replant them again next year!
Will you be planting pumpkins this year?