We are very excited to be visiting the Pumpkin Patch MK this weekend!
Here is the low-down on everything you need to know about the Pumpkin Patch and the owners, Joe, Roz and their children Bruce and Tilly!
Joe is a 4th generation farmer who’s family have always farmed in and around Milton Keynes, infact Joe’s Grandfather used to farm what is now Milton Keynes Museum.
The Patch Mk was created in 2019 and was inspired by us always being on the hunt for activities to enjoy as a family.
Our aim is to create a unique experience which will be enjoyed by all ages and create memories and traditions which last a life-time.
The Patch MK hosted its first event in October 2019 following on from the first Pumpkin seeds being planted in the soil in May of that year.
We loved welcoming everyone to the Pumpkin Patch and following on from this decided to host a summer event in 2020 and so the Sunflower event was formed.
After the Coronavirus Pandemic started in March we wanted to provide family’s, friends and individuals with a safe outdoor environment to enjoy. We worked hard with the relevant organisations to ensure we were able to meet the necessary requirements to obtain the Visit England ‘We’re Good to Go’ official mark alongside restricting our visitor numbers and carefully monitoring these throughout the event.
The Sunflower Patch was made up of Sunflowers, Wildflowers, a Sweetcorn Maize and a Wheat field. We built a viewing platform to enable visitors to get their photos above the sunflowers and cut paths through the sunflowers, sweetcorn and wheat so people were able to walk amongst them and enjoy the beautiful sounds, smells and insects which the flowers and foliage play home to.
As farmers we understand the importance of working in harmony with the countryside and have on a separate area of the farm planted over 40 acres of wild flowers to aid the pollinators. Alongside the sunflowers which were planted at the Patch MK we have also planted other areas around the farm to provide a source of food for wild birds over the autumn and winter months.
We had a fantastic time welcoming everyone to the Sunflower Patch this summer and are very excited to open the farm gates again in October for the Pumpkin Patch.
This year we have expanded the Pumpkin Patch significantly and have planted approximately 40,000 seeds in a wide range of different varieties, including huge white Polar Bears, tiny munchkins, traditional orange Jack O’lanterns, warty skinned gourds and weird/wonderful squashes to name a few.
Our pumpkins are planted at the patch towards the end of May and grow over the summer months to develop into the beautiful pumpkins we have available in October.
They begin to turn orange towards the end of August and the pumpkin foliage starts to die back around September time to allow the pumpkins to become more and more visible, leaving behind the stunning autumnal and very halloweeny Pumpkin Patch!
The Pumpkins will be cut free from the vine in advance of us opening so they are easy for our visitors to pick and we will have wheelbarrows available for visitors to use when choosing their pumpkins.
What we love about a Pumpkin Patch is that you can spend time out in the fresh air in the beautiful countryside picking your pumpkins, running around the fields and jumping on the bales. Fantastic outdoor family fun!
You also then have an activity to take home with you in the form of your pumpkins!
To begin with the carving or painting of the pumpkin and then also all the delicious recipes you are able to create with the pumpkin itself
As a family we have had a fantastic time over the last few months growing both the Sunflowers and Pumpkins and we are very excited to open our gates again in October and share them with everyone else.
We have some exciting creations up our sleeve for the Pumpkin Patch alongside our Barrel train and our straw bale creations! Both our Instagram visitors and our families will have new elements to look forward to alongside choosing their perfect pumpkins, so please keep an eye out on Instagram and Facebook for further updates on these!
Last year we raised £1055.11 in donations at the Pumpkin Patch for Milton Keynes Neonatal ward and we were delighted to be able to donate some of our sunflowers to the incredible staff at MK hospital following on from the Sunflower Patch this summer.
The Pumpkin Patch opens this weekend (10th/11th October 2020) and will be open on selected dates until and including the 31st October!
To book your tickets head over to their website here.