What's The Big Pumpkin Patch all about?
The Big Pumpkin Patch is an exciting project run by The Alnwick Garden with the help of local schools. The aim is to enable participating schools to grow their own pumpkins alongside those being grown in The Alnwick Garden nurseries. It is an interactive project with growing tips and advice, videos and fun pumpkin facts, as well as the opportunity for pupils to receive email guidance from Jack O’Lantern himself at askjack@alnwickgarden.com.
This autumn, when the pumpkins are all fully-grown and ripe, we will be holding the Big Carve-Up in The Alnwick Garden, giving schools and members of the public the chance to turn the results of all their hard work into lanterns and display them proudly in a pumpkin parade.
Great! How can I get started?
You can grow your own pumpkins at school or at home by following our Big Pumpkin Patch Growing Guide! Click here to download and print the Growing Guide.
Things to remember
Pumpkins like:
- hot summers and lots of space
- lots of sunshine - choose a sunny spot but keep them well watered. Pumpkins get VERY thirsty!
- fertile, well-manured and humus rich soil with regular nitrogen feeds
- nasturtiums and borage
Pumpkins don't like:
- frost and cold, don't even try planting them before the frosts are way back in the past
- limited root space - they have roots which go down deep
- being planted too close together or near plants from the same family
Don’t forget, if you get stuck you can always Ask Jack O'Lantern the pumpkin for help by emailing him at askjack@alnwickgarden.com.