It is Halloween again and for many of us this can be a scary time of year. I am not referring to the fear inflicted upon us by small children wearing strange costumes knocking on your door threatening to perform some sort of no doubt dastardly trick unless we immediately hand over confectionary items. No, not this doorstep intimidation racket or even the B list horror flicks that emigrate from their usual late night spot onto primetime viewing hours. It is the terror of the annual pumpkin carving ordeal.

Thankfully, we have some ideas for you. Some inspiration gathered from the great minds of the interweb. If that wasn’t enough we follow this up with a few handy tips to ensure you achieve pumpkin perfection this Halloween.
Here are 5 pumpkin designs we found particularly inspiring/amusing:

1. 

Pumpkin Pi
Pumpkin pi – For the intellectual carver

2.

Star wars pumpkin
Episode 8 – Attack of the pumpkin

3.

Sick Pumpkin
November 1st

4.

Weird baby pumpkin
This is just weird…

5.

Scary Turnip
Turnips are genuinely terrifying

Tips for Carving your Pumpkin:

  1. My number 1 tip is cheat – Download a template from the internet and trace it on to your pumpkin. No one has to know, there are so many great ones out there. Simply trace the template onto your pumpkin and carve carefully around the outline.
  2. Use the right tools – Don’t spend hours hacking away at your pumpkin with a desert spoon. Take a minute to plan ahead and utilise the best tools for the job. A sharp knife is a must. A hammer and chisel may be too far, but saying that there are those on the internet who swear by using power tools for this task.
  3. Clear the area – This task is always more difficult, dangerous and messier than you remember. Don’t start the dissection in your lounge on that new rug you got just last week. Lay down some newspaper, give yourself some space and make sure you’re in appropriate clothing and you will be much better off.
  4. Preservation – If you want your pumpkin to last a while and not go all mouldy and horrible there are a few techniques that will do the job. I’ve read about using Vaseline and similar products but apparently it can be a slippery, dangerous process with mixed results. You can use vinegar but surprisingly the most effective solution is to soak your pumpkin in 1 tsp. bleach/ gallon of water solution for around 8 hours. It may seem a bit excessive, and you will want to keep any children away during this phase, but the results can be great prolonging your pumpkin’s display time by up to 10 days!

Make sure you send in pictures of your finished article via our Facebook page. Points will be awarded for originality, design and overall effort. The winner stands to win one of our brand new Warmawear ™ hand warmers, perfect for the winter months, and of course will be awarded the prestigious accolade of Primrose Pumpkin of the Year 2015! Good luck!

AlexAlex works in the Primrose marketing team, mainly on online marketing.

As a psychology graduate it is ironic that he understands plants better than people but a benefit for the purpose of writing this blog.

An enthusiastic gardener, all he needs now is a garden and he’ll be on the path to greatness. Alex’s special talents include superior planter knowledge and the ability to put a gardening twist on any current affairs story.

See all of Alex’s posts.