For teeny tiny one-pot pumpkins look no further than Gold Speck.  These are perfect pumpkins – fruiting towards the centre of the bush type plant, glowing orange, slightly flattened shape, ribbed, long handles – just in miniature.  Expect them to be just 8-10cm across and around 150-300g  Price for 3 seeds.

A one-pot pumpkin is just that… a one potion meal from your garden growing in its own pot.  Cut off the top and rest it back on to bake (allowing the steam to escape), then scoop out the inside, separate out the seeds, mix the flesh with other tasty ingredients (butter, cream cheese, herbs, spices, chilli…) rest the lid back on and back in the oven to finish cooking through.  Then serve your pumpkin inside its own pot!

Goosebumps start out as smooth skinned fruits growing to a medium size, the goosebumps developing later on as the sugar level increases leading to a distinctly warty looking pumpkin – it’s enough to give you the shivers!  The number and size of the goosebumps depend on the conditions – the more the better with sunshine, rich compost, feeding and watering all helping.  Funky is the best word but also delicious Price for 3 seeds

To be frank it is one of the ugliest pumpkins you can grow with the bizarre bumps sticking out all over, but a good lesson in “looks aren’t everything” as there lies delightful flavour hidden inside.

A beautiful big pumpkin, but not enormous, with uniform sized fruits of up to 10kg which are deep round and symmetrical with very solid thick flesh. The skin is ridged and a rich orange colour. This remains a good eating pumpkin that keeps for a long time; it is particularly good for winter soups. Price for 3 seeds

A unique mini pumpkin, making a delicious single serving each by just scooping out the centre to be baked or steamed and serve back inside its pumpkin shell. For added variety try stuffing them with mixed veg or mince or just cover the cooked flesh with butter or sugar. Price for 3 seeds

Jack 'O Lantern must be the quintessential Halloween pumpkin:  the perfect size for carving and reliably ready at the right time!  Yet so much more as under that bright golden skin lies sweet flavoured super-nutritious yellow orange coloured flesh and seeds ready to be turned into delicious meals.  Fruits of 4-7kg, choose to roast, bake or make soups or pies plus these pumpkins can store for up to 4 months for use through the winter.  Price for 3 seeds

SOW & GROW: in individual pots inside during April or May.  You can keep them on a windowsill until sprouted then pop into a coldframe or unheated greenhouse. Keep moist and warm, ready to harden off at 2/3 leaf stage before planting outside.  Dig in plenty of compost & give them space – Jack ‘O Lantern will produce trailing vines that will wander about, or you can keep them tidier by training them in a large circle.  For good sized pumpkins only allow the plant to produce 2 or 3 so that it concentrates growth into those fruit.  Ready to harvest in October when the stalks begin to dry.  After cutting the vine allow the fruits to harden for 10-14 days (protect from frost and wet)

EAT:  roasting or grilling will bring out the sweet flavour, they are a popular choice for puddings but also make superb soup or add to stews and casseroles.

This is eye catching. A pumpkin with black stripes! It is a semi-bush type with small vines and the fruits are a very manageable 2 to 4kgs. Try these roasted for a different and delicious taste. The seeds are absolutely delicious roasted too and are an unusual grey blue colour. Price for 3 seeds

With perfect conditions you could be the proud grower of a 45kg pumpkin however, in the UK, you are more likely to be very happy with some much more manageable 9-12kg fruits. All will have a smooth orange skin, slightly ribbed, with tasty pale orange flesh. They make a good ingredient for stews & casseroles, sauces and soups. Price for 3 seeds.

Mellow Yellow has the wow factor, you just can’t miss a bright lemon-yellow pumpkin or two!  Stand out from the crowd with this novel colour and still enjoy your harvest.  Yes, you can carve these but also enjoy sliced and roasted, baked into casseroles, stirred into risotto or pasta, or diced and added into soups, chilis, casseroles and stews.  Price for 3 seeds

Pumpkins really have it all – fun to grow, great to look at, and enough ways to cook and eat that you can be using them for meal after meal without it ever feeling repetitive.  And when cooked, Mellow Yellow pumpkins develop a tender consistency and have a mild, earthy, and slightly sweet flavour.  Don’t forget that pumpkins sweeten with storage, Mellow Yellow will store for about 3 months, and it is these sweeter fruits that you use for cakes - cupcakes, pies, bread, muffins…

With medium sized fruits, up to 8kg, this is a vining type which would like about 60cm between it and any neighbour

Garden pumpkins do not come better behaved than this: Orange Smoothie has a compact semi bush habit with perfect smooth globe fruit that are a very manageable 2-3.5kg.  It is also relatively quick for a pumpkin and can be harvested in September.      Price for 3 seeds. 

SOW & GROW: in individual pots inside during April or May.  You can keep them on a window sill until sprouted then pop into a coldframe or unheated greenhouse. Keep moist and warm, ready to harden off and plant out when at 2/3 leaf stage.  Dig in plenty of compost as they are hungry plants.  Orange Smoothie, being a semi bush, is also suitable for large patio pots.   Relatively quick – can be harvested in September. Cut leaving a ‘handle’ of stem for each fruit then  allow the fruits to harden for 10-14 days (protect from frost and wet)

EAT:  these are a favourite choice for carving but they are also perfect for eating and a size that won’t overwhelm you

Polar Bear is stunning, fabulous, big tasty pure white pumpkins.  Your fruits can weigh up to 30kg.  The plants grow long vigorous vines, for the largest fruits only allow them to put their effort into one or two fruits per plant.  If you don’t remove flowers you will get more smaller fruits (10-15kg) which are just as tasty and for most people easier to manage! (3 seeds)

To keep the fruit off the soil while they are growing you can put straw underneath them or old roof tiles.  Harvest before the first frosts.  These are very eye-catching for ghostly Halloween lanterns.  If, like us, you are more interested in eating them then cure them and plan to use them over the next 3 months or so.