Pumpkins make a great kid’s project. You can eat them, join the race for the biggest pumpkin, and hollow them out to make a lantern at Halloween.

They are rampant growers, and just take off. The only problems are slugs, which eat the young seedlings. Start the seeds off in a pot on the kitchen window sill. When the seedlings are an inch or so, transplant into the garden, but surround with a circle of soot. The slugs don’t like wriggling through this. Cover the seedlings with a big glass jar to keep the birds off, and after a couple of weeks they should be safe.

Once you see that there are several fruits, pick one for a pumpkin pie, or make some jam or chutney. This keeps the interest going until Halloween.