I’ve always wanted to go pumpkin picking, but the pumpkin patch has never seemed to be as widespread a thing here as in the US, probably due to our earlier ground frosts. But when I heard about Garsons Farm, a Pick Your Own farm in Esher, Surrey, I was really keen to get down there to choose our own perfect pumpkin.
We hyped it up for Max, telling him the whole way about how we were going to pick our own pumpkin, and when we got out of the car he was really excited! It’s a long drive up to the fields which adds to the excitement, and then you just pull up at the field with the crops you want to pick. We got there nice and early in the day, so there was only us and one other family there.
We made our way through the fields, examining the pumpkins as we went. There was such a great variety of sizes to choose from and Max was understandably drawn to the biggest ones! I think it’s fair to say that he perhaps didn’t have the most exacting eye when it came to choosing, and was also pretty ambitious with what he could lift! He was also so excited by the pumpkins that he was totally undirectable, so the photos aren’t quite what I’d perhaps have hoped for, but still show what a great time we all had.
In the end, we went for this perfect looking pumpkin - what do you think? Lovely and round, and nice and smooth! A little more expensive than you’d pay in the shops, but totally worth it for the experience of picking out your own pumpkin. Max absolutely loved it, and chanted ‘pumpkin’ the whole way home! I love having family traditions that you do every year, and this is definitely going to be one of ours from now on.
If you like the sound of pumpkin picking, there are lots of places springing up which offer this now. I’ve listed a few others close to me in Surrey - I think we’ll be working our way around these to work out which we like the best!
Crockford Bridge Farm in Addlestone run a Halloween event from Saturday 15th October - 30th October, but this is more staged than picking your own from the field. They lay the pumpkins out already picked, for you to choose from, but also have lots of other exciting Halloween themed events to make a real day of it. There’s also a fab ice-(s)cream parlour for a sweet treat. Fancy dress is encouraged!
I’ve only recently read about Secretts Farm in Milford, near Guildford, which also allow you to pick your own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. They make a huge event of Halloween with Pumpkin Week, from 25th-30th October, where there are tractor rides to the pumpkin fields, face painting, and biscuit decorating.
I’m so looking forward to getting creative with our carving!
Do you have any autumn family traditions? Or any pumpkin recipe suggestions?
