PUMPKIN carving is all part of the fun building up to Halloween.

While the coronavirus pandemic has stopped the celebrations in some areas it's still possible to select your pumpkin and prepare for some spooky fun. Here's how and where you can get involved.

Where do pumpkins grow?

Despite being native to North America, the autumnal vegetable can be grown in your very own garden.

All they need is a sunny position, moisture-retentive soil and shelter from any chilly winds.

This means that there are plenty of spots in the UK that you can pick your own pumpkin.

If there aren't any locations nearby, British supermarkets will be well stocked with them.

Where can I go pumpkin picking in the UK?

You might be surprised to know that there are plenty of places across the nation that offer up home-grown pumpkins.

Here are some locations that may take your fancy:

England

• Crockford Bridge Farm Shop, Surrey
• Foxes Pumpkin Patch and Maize Maize, Essex
• PYO Pumpkins, Kent
• Stanhill Farm, Kent
• Piglets Adventure Farm, Yorkshire
• National Forest Adventure Farm, Staffordshire
• Undley Pumpkin Patch, Suffolk
• Hatton Adventure World, Warwickshire
• Down At The Farm, Durham
• Cotswold Farm Park, Gloucestershire
• Willows Activity Farm, Hertfordshire
• Pink Pig Farm, Lincolnshire
• Kentish Town City Farm, London
• Mudchute Park and Farm, London

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

LATEST ON HALLOWEEN

Why are pumpkins associated with Halloween?

Folklore tells the story of Stingy Jack, a man who wasn't allowed into heaven after making a deal with the Devil.

The story says he carried an ember in a hollowed-out turnip and aimlessly wandered the Earth in search of a resting place.

This tale travelled with the Irish over to the States and evolved until these “Jack-o-lanterns” were being made from pumpkins.

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