A bumper year for some pumpkins, but a fright for others, say National Trust gardeners

As hundreds of National Trust places prepare Halloween trails, harvest displays and seasonal celebrations, gardeners have been taking stock of this year's pumpkin crops. The results are in, and the picture is decidedly patchy for pumpkins across the country.

Some places, such as Wimpole in Cambridgeshire, produced a good crop of pumpkins, as did Westbury Court Garden in Gloucestershire and Sizergh in Cumbria. Here, despite the lack of rain and scorching temperatures, the pumpkins and squashes grew vigorously, ripened earlier than expected and triumphed over 2025 in terms of yield.

However, despite a fast-growing, extensive root system adapted to search out moisture, pumpkins at Polesden Lacey in Surrey were pushed to their limits by 62 days without rain, raising concerns about sustainable growth in the south of the country should current weather patterns continue. Polesden’s yields have steadily reduced for the past couple of years.

This year, pumpkins faced another challenge; at some places, including Polesden Lacey and Baddesley Clinton in Warwickshire, they fell foul of struggling squirrels and badgers attracted by the watery flesh and nutritious seeds.

Baddesley Clinton Head Gardener, Tom Jackson, said: "Our pumpkins had been promising, but as the drought hit the local wildlife found them a useful source of moisture. Squirrels tunnelled in to eat and then seemed to spend time inside them – perhaps still gnawing at the moisture or using the cool space to hide from the sun."

Given pumpkins have already proved a valuable food source to some wildlife this year, the National Trust is asking people to turn Halloween green and use pumpkin carving waste to help sustain birds visiting gardens this autumn.

Rebecca Bevan, National Trust Environmental Horticulture specialist, said: “We’ve seen firsthand at our places that pumpkins have been a lifeline for some wildlife struggling in extremely difficult conditions. Temperatures may have now dropped but much of the country remains in drought. This year, it would be helpful if pumpkin carvers could consider roasting and crushing the unused seeds from their creations to feed to birds as the winter sets in and natural food sources get used up.”

Keeping leftovers off the ground is key as while birds and squirrels can benefit from leftovers, pumpkins can be harmful to other species such as hedgehogs. In addition, organisations such as Forestry England warn against simply disposing of pumpkins in habitats such as woodland and forest, where they don’t naturally grow.

Many National Trust gardens donate used pumpkins to animal sanctuaries and farms where they are appreciated by pigs, ducks, chickens and even alpacas. Other places such as Ham House in London donate winter squash including uncarved pumpkins to local food banks.

Visitors to National Trust places can enjoy autumn displays packed with produce, Halloween trails and seasonal events, as well as stepping into the spooky world of British folklore through the Stranger Folk app. From ghostly legends and mysterious creatures to cautionary tales passed down through generations, the experience reveals the strange stories that have long haunted Britain's coastlines, countryside and historic places.