Entering pumpkin competitions has been a lifelong hobby for keen gardener, Jamie Frost. The 11-year-old lives on a productive half-acre just outside Te Awamutu, with his green-fingered parents, Liz and Martyn, and younger brother Luis.

His Granny Di has been the biggest influence on him. A seasoned gardener, she grew her own vegetables, helped on her grandchildren’s plot, and volunteered at Hamilton Gardens. Jamie reckons the starting point was seeing a photo of himself aged one, with a giant pumpkin, at that year’s Great Pumpkin Carnival at Hamilton Gardens.

“When I was two, I grew a pumpkin and first entered the competition,” says Jamie.

He and his family have been growing pumpkins and entering them into the carnival for the last nine years. There are many classes, including miniature, heaviest, weirdest shape, pumpkin creations, carving, and baking with pumpkins.

The March 2020 competition was cancelled due to Covid-19, but the creative categories competed online and the Frost’s won first place in every class – individual, school and family.

“I made a pumpkin-faced man lying in a wheelbarrow with a decorated pumpkin head, and called it ‘Taking a Break’.

“Another entry was a tower of pumpkins all with painted faces, called ‘Feeling the Squeeze’.”

Their winning family entry ‘Keeping balance when the world’s turned upside down’, reflected how they were all feeling in lockdown.

Luckily, the whole family loves eating pumpkins – whether it be mashed, roasted, in soups, muffins, scones, cakes, or in their prize-winning pumpkin pie. Jamie reels off the delicacies enthusiastically, and often makes them himself.

He grows a range of heritage pumpkins and saves the seeds from ones that tasted the sweetest.

“To get giant pumpkins, we plant those seeds in October.”

Along with the pumpkins, the family grows a wide variety of vegetables and fruit. Jamie spends time in the garden most days and really enjoys growing his own food.

The beautiful, rambling garden resembles those of years gone by, with huge fruit trees, and vegetables being produced year-round. The worm bin and compost heap provide fertiliser. The recent addition of some chickens helps with pest control. “We feed them the slugs and caterpillars we catch.”

Jamie won the Yates Central North Island Budding Young Gardener title in 2019, then went on to win overall, becoming the Yates Kids Gardening Ambassador.

He certainly seems to have green thumbs and a sound knowledge of growing vegetables and fruit. “I hope that when other kids see what fun it is to grow vegetables and make fun creations – and win competitions – that they will try out gardening too.”