St Abbs Pick Your Own Pumpkin Patch on the Berwickshire coast has opened for the season, with about 22,000 pumpkins across a two-and-a-half acre plot just outside the village.
Family fun with gourds galore
Entry is free with no booking required, making it easy for the whole family to get involved. Children can load wheelbarrows, push their own pumpkins around the patch, and choose from gourds in various colours, shapes and sizes.
Among the visitors were Chloe, 11, and Ava, 7, of Coldingham, who were choosing pumpkins to decorate at home. Chloe will stack and decorate three to make a fairy lit pumpkin tree, while Ava will make a house with curtains on the windows.
The Master Blaster pumpkin cannon
Annabel Hamilton runs the pumpkin patch with her partner, Tom Blackburn. While on holiday in the USA, Tom Blackburn saw a cannon firing pumpkins and, inspired, built his own: The Master Blaster.
For a small fee, children get to select a pumpkin and fire it up to 170 metres at targets in a neighbouring field.
Storing pumpkins for months
Pumpkins will last for months if stored correctly. They should be kept in a cool dry place, such as a garage or shed, as they do not like warm conditions.
Visitors are advised not to carve their pumpkins too early, as they will only last a few days once carved.
