My son planted a pumpkin in the hope that he would have something good to carve for Halloween. The plant certainly grew well, sprawling out all over the place, but unfortunately it only produced one pumpkin and it grew in a sort of elongated shape rather than round, as you can see. If he does carve it for Halloween I think it will have to stand on it's side rather than it's end. We're going to have a go at growing a different variety next year. My daughter chose mini pumpkins - Hooligan. Her plant produced four tiny pumpkins which, according to the seed packet, can be microwaved. We haven't tried them yet but I will let you know what they're like once we do.I had hoped to spend a good few hours at the allotment on Saturday, digging over the beds and generally tidying up, but the weather was against me. We had such high winds here, and also drizzle, so I decided on a day indoors instead. I was working on Sunday so I didn't manage to get down then either. There's so much to do before winter sets in, but now that the evenings are getting darker much quicker, I'm finding it harder to spend any time down there during the week.
We had a good downpour yesterday after weeks without any proper rain. It didn't seem to stop all day, so it will have given everything a much needed watering. Hopefully, it will have softened the soil ready to dig too, as it's been hard going trying to get the spade in.
I've been really pleased with my beans, both runners and French, as they've given us a huge crop. They're on their last legs now though, so they'll soon be coming out. I'll leave the roots where they are so that they can fix nitrogen in the soil.
The allotment bill dropped through my letterbox the other day. I'm charged £20.00 for the year which I don't think is bad at all. It's not a full sized plot, but I know of many other people who pay alot more for their allotment. We don't have water on site so we don't have to pay for that, but I think it's a bargain to be able to grow my own food.
Tell your son that the very best Jack O'lanterns come from unusual pumpkins. I think his is a fine speciman for either a scary or silly face. I am quite curious about the Hooligans they look quite nice, but how do they taste. Congratulations on the beautiful peppers too. Will you post a photo of the pumpkin after it is carved?
ReplyDeleteKat
I think you will be able to make a very unique jack'o'lantern with your sons pumpkin!!
ReplyDeleteLove your son's pumpkin it's going to be a brilliant carving project and as for the mini pumpkins well they are just adorable. Hope they taste as good as they look.
ReplyDeleteIt's good that a long pumpkin is the only big one for the Halloween. To carve this, require some creativity,... a slight deviation from what you have been familiar with. Cheers, Good luck ~bangchik
ReplyDeleteOops, your son's pumpkin is going to require some creative carving - a comical/silly face perhaps? We had loads of rain yesterday which freshened and softened everything up - a great day for digging.
ReplyDelete£20 for your allotment is a bargain. My 'allotment' is actually a good sized plot in my friend's very substantial garden and we share a greenhouse on the site too. I've had my name down for a 'proper' allotment for a couple of years now, I think they cost something like £30 or so - who knows when one will become available though!!
Jeanne x
I haven't eaten any of the Hooligan pumpkins yet, Kat, but I will let you know how they taste when I do.
ReplyDeleteIt will have to be a unique lantern looking at the shape of it, Tanya. Still, we'll give it a go.
I'm looking forward to having a go at cooking the Hooligan pumpkins in the microwave, Re. They're very small, so they should be ok.
I've never carved an elongated pumpkin before, Bangchik. I will have to get my thinking cap on.
It's awful waiting to creep to the top of the allotment waiting list, Jeanne. One never knows how long it's going to take. At least you have somewhere to be growing your veg whilst you wait. Good luck, I hope you get to the top of the list soon.
Your son will have the most unique pumpkin around! Maybe you can carve it up to look like Mr. Potato Head because of its shape ;-) Your peppers look great, too! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the pumpkin would look great as Mr. Potato Head, Avis. Unfortunately, my carving skills aren't great so it could turn out as anything.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at the name when we saw some 'Hooligans' on display at the Malvern Show. Would be interested in your verdict when you have eaten the aforesaid troublemakers. I am catching up on the lottie this week after a fortnight away. Still loads to do !
ReplyDeleteI still haven't eaten any yet, Anna, but I will let you know how they taste when I do. The packet says that they can be microwaved so I'm going have a go at cooking them that way.
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