Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2008 | Page 74
life
GARDENING
Sally studied horticulture at Duchy College, Cornwall
(Bsc (Hons) Horticulture) before breaking into
gardening journalism.
Time to
experiment
Halloween
Sally Charrett
If you have a question for Sally need some advice or even a
suggestion for an article then please email:
[email protected]
Vegetable carving is nothing new and was carried out by those that toiled the land at the time
of bountiful autumn harvests, long before the spe cific association of pumpkin carving and
halloween. With the party season almost upon us, gardening writer Sally Charrett looks at
some alternative carving options.
Halloween wouldn’t be
the same without carving
spooky faces into large,
orange pumpkins to
make lanterns.
However, rather than attempt
to hack out the ubiquitous
crude and unimaginative
triangles eyes and gappy teeth,
why not try something a little
different? Children will not
want to stray too far from
the ghoulish appeal of the
traditional jack-o-lantern, but
for adults pumpkin carving can
be taken to a whole new level.
The pumpkin family is
actually one of the largest
groups of vegetables and
includes winter squash and
gourds, as well as other types
of pumpkins. These come in an
extraordinary array of shapes
and colours – speckled, stripy,
squat, knobbly, long-necked,
star-shaped, fist-sized, fiery
oranges and reds and cooler
greens and yellows. Next
time you are at your local
supermarket or farmer’s
market, have a look and see
what is on offer. Generally
74
speaking, the harder the
variety, the more difficult it’ll
be to scoop out the flesh and
carve into – but well worth it if
you can find the patience and
time. Try experimenting with
more sophisticated patterns
such as stars, dots, leaves
or swirls. For head-turning
autumn displays, use your
cucurbit lanterns to light
up the dining table, hang
from trees, float on water, or
provide nightlights for garden
paths and doorways. You
could even organise a friendly
neighbourhood competition
for the best dressed front
window.
Children might like to try
improving on the traditional
jack-o-lantern features – for
inspiration, flick through
bedtime books and cartoons,
and base designs on favourite
‘baddie’ characters. For
something really different, try
creating a goblin’s home, or a
witch’s cat.
How to carve:
Most tools you’ll need will be
found in the kitchen drawers
or garage toolbox, but if not,
stock up at the local hardware
store or art shop. Cut open
the top (sometimes the base)
of the pumpkin and retain the
piece as a ‘lid’ if desired. A
sharp knife will help to shred
hard flesh before scooping it
out with a spoon (bend handle
back for ease). Reduce the
flesh to a thickness of 1cm or
just under. Draw your design
on the skin with a crayon or
ballpoint pen before cutting
out with a craft knife. Use
a lino-cutting tool to carve
the skin without actually
perforating it. This adds
another lighting dimension
to the lantern. To make neat,
round holes use a gimlet tool.
For information and inspiring
ideas on pumpkin carving,
see Decorating Pumpkins
and Gourds by Deborah
Schneebeli-Morrell. Published
by CICO Books at £9.99
(hardback) Available from
all good bookshops and
Waterstones, Newport.
www.wightfrog.com/islandlife