Dear Mummy, I know how much you love Autumn and Halloween so this month is all about getting outside and enjoying the crisp fresh air and taking in the sights of October. We made our annual trip to our local pumpkin patch before the mad rush of half term to pick our perfect pumpkin ready to carve later in the month.
We visited Pickwell Farm on the outskirts of Southampton. It was our second time visiting in Autumn and last year we had so much fun we decided to come back and relive the memories. This time with my daddy in tow! We grabbed our trusty wheelbarrow (trust me you need one for hauling pumpkins back to the car) and I had fun jumping in and being wheeled around the fields.
Excitement was building as we headed down the long dirt track into the farm, distant buildings and tower blocks of Southampton on the horizon and you would be forgiven for thinking we were in the States on a vast farm, not near a busy city in England.
There were three fields filled with gorgeous orange pumpkins, we were impressed with the different shapes and sizes and they looked much better than the supermarket varieties. Some smaller ones had already turned and been eaten by animals and we were fascinated by the ones that had deflated and turned gooey. My mummy found a perfect pumpkin which was oblong and tall, ready for a carving masterpiece! It was a bit heavy though and she had to lift it with two hands. It was so fresh that the green vine was still hanging from it.
I picked a perfect round pumpkin and what we love about Pickwell is the prices and the quality of their fruit and veg. Each pumpkin is priced the same (£2) and not on weight, being more than 50% cheaper than supermarket pumpkins and double the size! The colour of the pumpkins are pretty good as well and a lot of them are unblemished. We did see some strange-looking pumpkins though on the way to the pumpkin patch with witches warts on them, they looked disgusting and perfect for a Halloween centrepiece.
Right next to the pumpkins was the tall fields of corn, towering high above my mummy’s head it was easy to get lost between the shafts of green. We all had fun exploring together and my mummy was happy that I was wearing my bright orange coat so I didn’t leave her sight easily, as I had a habit of running off. We hunted for the golden corn and it was a great experience to pick our own cob on the cob fresh from the fields. Priced at 40p for a large corn on the cob it was great value. See our little video below to watch how we did it. My mummy usually strips the corn on the cob and boils it for 10 minutes with lemon and sugar then serves with melted butter and it tastes divine!
It wasn’t just about the pumpkins at Pickwell, even though the majority of the visitors were drawn to the bright orange globes that lay in the field other fruits and veg were on offer, from runner beans to blackberries, strawberries and sweetcorn. We were impressed with the amount of fresh produce that was in their farm shop too!
You would be forgiven to think that the Strawberry picking season is over and only reserved for the summer months, however on our recent trip to Pickwell Farm there was an abundance of ripe fresh strawberries. My mummy and I had fun bending over and picking these juicy red fruits and I couldn’t resist a little nibble much to the annoyance from my folks!
We collected lots of strawberries and sat down to inspect them, some had already been eaten by bugs so we had to leave them for the wildlife. Others were decaying on closer inspection, however we managed to fill up a basket which is good going in October! It was a really relaxing day and nice to be out with my folk and Grandparents for a Sunday walk. We’d definitely recommend a trip to Pickwell Farm this October. Watch our little video to see the pumpkin picking in action!
Have you been pumpkin picking yet? It’s a great seasonal activity and we can’t wait to carve them.
Love Bella x
Pickwell Farm, Grange Rd, Southampton. 023 8040 4616
Free entrance.
You picked a really beautiful pumpkin! My Mum actually went to this farm last week and I was so jealous! I need to find one just as nice around here…
We can’t wait to go pumpkin picking this year – looks like a lovely place to go for it! x
I’ve never been to a pumpkin patch but it looks like so much fun and I can’t believe how good value they are x
I have never been oumpkin picking but I know my lo would love this when she is a bit bigger. Looks like a fab place
Oh now this looks like such a great place to explore, I have never been to a pumpkin patch before, but would love to visit one.
What a colourful day. All those pumpkins! So so big too.
Awww this looks SO fun! I’d love to visit a pumpkin patch this year!
Oh this has made me so jealous! I’ve always wanted to do this, haha!
We went pumpkin picking for the first time last weekend and the kids loved it – insisted on getting the largest pumpkins they could find mind!
Love pumpkin picking and just been looking at doing this – looks like you had a lot of fun 🙂 x
Looks like you all had great fun, I have never been pumpkin picking something I need to try x
I have always wanted to go to a pumpkin patch, they look like so much fun, especially for halloween!
We’ve been to a patch once this year and best of all we’ve grown our own down at our allotment! Yay! This patch looks lovely x
Ahh what gorgeous photos! We went to a pumpkin patch last weekend and it was so much fun! Very muddy though!!
Looks like you had an awesome day there and I want to bring my kids there. The pumpkins are so big and colorful
This looks so much fun. I’m going to see if there is something like this near us xx
Wow so many pumpkins!! I can’t wait to take the girls pumpkin picking x
This looks like so much fun. Great pictures! 👍 #countrykids
This always looks like so much fun but sadly, we haven’t got anything like this anywhere near us #Countrykids
I wish I could still be pushed around in a wheelbarrow with such ease! The whole day looks like such fun, and it’s fantastic that strawberries were still available at this time of year
Wonderful photos looks like a fantastic day was had by all! We visited our local pumpkin patch this week. Our first experience of pumpkin picking. You definitely need the wheelbarrows! Thank you for sharing #countrykids
I’ve seen so many posts this year about pumpkin farms and am hopefully planning our trip for next weekend. looks like lots of fun to be able to pick your own to decorate, those strawberries look yummy too #countrykids
Pumpkin picking is one of my favourite things to do at this time of year, I can’t believe you managed to still get some beautiful looking strawberries. #countrykids
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Looks like you all had fun. I want to try doing that too, I hope the tweens would still want to do it.
Looks like you all had fun. I want to try doing that too, I hope the tweens would still want to do it.
Can you believe I’ve never been to a pumpkin patch before? And I’m 33 today!! LOL. I’ll have to see if we have one local to us to visit this year, as I think the kids would love it 🙂
Louise x
We went pumpkin picking today but they didn’t have as many pumpkins. Too many damaged this year #countrykids
This must be the best pumpkin patch there is. I’ve seen a couple of posts from here now and everyone says how great it is. We don’t have anywhere like this in Cornwall, I think I should get Farmer Nick to make our own pumpkin patch next year! Such a sensible idea to make them good value too, I’m sure it helps the farm with people being tempted to look at other things on the back of the pumpkins. A wonderful looking day out with beautiful photos.
Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids
Your photos are brilliant, so colourful and full of fun! Pickwell Farm looks fabulous too, what a gem of a place. It makes me think we should go and pick our pumpkin on a farm too here in Ireland.
#CountryKIds
Ah, we really must go to a pumpkin patch this year! We didn’t get round to it last year, and I was so disappointed. Our weekends are so crazy though 🙂 Maybe next weekend!! #countrykids
I do didn’t know pumpkin picking was a thing and I’ve been blogging for two years now. You think I would have seen it last year lol. It looks like a fab day or for the little ones and a bonus that you get to pick strawberries too. I think mine would love that! Thanks for joining us at #familyfunlinky
Those look so much fun. Love your photos and that is awesome of you throwing it around. I’ve never been to a pumpkin patch, but this makes me want to go x #familyfunlinky
Seeing you and yours go pumpkin picking makes me want to do the same. I’m not sure any of us like the taste though. The corn on the cob on the other hand 3 out of 4 of us love. #countrykids
Looks like a really fun outing! I didn’t pick any pumpkins this year, but I AM going to be painting some tomorrow. I’m excited. I love that you’re able to get wheelbarrows to help with carrying pumpkins; too handy!
Lauren
Love the photos! We went pumpkin picking at the weekend, we go every year and love it! #TwinklyTuesday
Looks like a fab day out. We are going to our local pumpkin patch this weekend. #twinklytuesday
Looks like you had fun picking a pumpkin. I love how your orange coat is so perfect for a trip to the pumpkin patch. I loved running through fields of corn as a child and picking cobs to take home as I grew up living opposite a farm. Seeing Bella doing just that brought back some happy memories. #countrykids
We haven’t ever been pumpkin picking! It seems to have become the thing to do in the last couple of years! Looks like you had loads of fun! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Woah, you are very brave walking through the corn. I have read too many horror stories about things that live in tall corn to be comftable walking in it (yes im a wuss)
#familyfunlinky