A pumpkin can be blue, pale pink, heavily ribbed or small enough to fit in your hand. The atlas helps you look beyond a single orange shape and choose a display that fits your home.

Start with curiosity

Browse a variety, compare a few or start from a display concept. Our planner runs in your browser and lets you use your own quantities and local prices.

Use it your way

English, Spanish, French, German and Simplified Chinese editions share the same variety facts. Cultivar names retain their original form. Unknown details and concept drawings stay clearly identified.

Five languages, one set of facts

A field guide for your fall.

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Using the site

The planner includes a print layout and a portable JSON download. Browser storage may be unavailable in some privacy modes; a download gives you another way to keep a plan. Photo previews are optional. Position controls let you move markers without dragging.

Printing and saving

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An atlas you can use.

Start with the usable space and one main fruit. The ideas list exact starting quantities, which you can edit in the planner. There is no universal count for a doorway or table. If the group restricts movement or serving space, reduce it.

How many pumpkins do I need?

Match the decorative role, approximate size and color, then inspect the actual fruit. A visual substitute does not guarantee the same culinary use. Use the atlas comparison to check recorded uses and ask the seller about an unidentified fruit.

What if I cannot find the named variety?

Only consider a confirmed food variety with suitable handling and condition. Keep cooking fruit separate from carving, paint, glue and other treatments. Do not eat a carved display, treated fruit, decaying fruit or an unidentified ornamental gourd.

Can a decorative pumpkin be eaten later?

There is no fixed duration for every pumpkin. Whole, carved and treated fruit differ, and temperature, moisture and damage matter. Inspect the base and stem area regularly, check exposed cuts and remove fruit that softens, leaks or develops mold.

How long will my display last?

Illustrations are design concepts, not scale drawings or proof of an installation. Suggested widths are starting points. Measure your surface and actual fruit and keep door movement and walking routes clear. Photo placement markers also show approximate positions only.

Does the picture show exact dimensions?

A blank price is unknown, not zero. Add local unit prices and relevant additional costs. Mark usable items you already own, check the selling unit and keep one currency throughout. The planner has no live prices, stock feed or checkout.

Why does my estimate show an unpriced item?

Explicitly saved plans stay in this browser. Download JSON to move a plan or keep a backup. Photos stay on your device and are not included in saved plans or share links. Exported preview PNGs contain the selected photo; keep them private if needed.

Where are my plan and photo saved?

Print a material list from the planner. For paper patterns, select actual size or 100% and measure the 50 mm calibration line. Share links contain the list and budget, so avoid private details. Photos must be exported separately as PNG.

How do I print or share correctly?

Questions before you begin

Variety descriptions and growing specifications are checked against horticultural and seed catalogue information. Published weights describe a growing range rather than every individual fruit. Unknown values stay unrecorded; similar names are not automatically treated as one cultivar.

Facts and growing ranges

Variety photographs show actual fruit. Layout diagrams are concepts without scale or a tested installation. Photographed studies list documented materials, which may differ from adapted concepts. We do not claim to have personally reproduced those installations.

Photographs and concepts

Review dates describe our latest content check. Color, size, growing conditions and storage conditions can differ. A photograph or variety name alone cannot establish food safety.

Reviewed, not guaranteed

The planner uses prices you enter. It does not claim a national average or live stock availability. Costs exclude any item left unpriced and the tool flags an incomplete estimate.

Local prices, local decisions

Each edition has independently maintained text checked for editorial consistency. We do not claim certified native-speaker review. Changes to variety facts flag affected translations for review before republication.

Language editions

How we put it together.

Your last used language, comparison selections, your unit preference and explicitly saved plans use browser local storage. There is no account and no cloud copy. Clearing site data removes those settings and plans. Download a JSON plan if you want a portable copy.

What this edition stores

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Photos and sharing

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What this edition sends

If you send an email, your email service and the recipient will process that message. Do not include addresses, private household information or photographs unless needed for your request.

Contact

Privacy, kept simple.

Information is offered as a guide and may need correction. Growing ranges, care outcomes and local availability differ. There are no live product offers, installation services or guaranteed storage lifetimes in this edition.

The reference

Check door clearance, footing and access before placing a display. Concept diagrams are not architectural measurements or a statement of compliance with local access requirements. Keep electrical decorations, coatings and tools within their manufacturer instructions.

Your space and materials

Do not use the atlas to identify unknown edible plants. Do not eat carved display fruit, painted fruit or decaying fruit. Seek appropriate local guidance for food preparation and waste collection.

Food and handling

Terms of use.

Large carving pumpkins

Medium carving pumpkins

White pumpkins

Specialty pumpkins

Hay bales

Pie pumpkins

A photographed approach with repeated pumpkin groups, mixed sizes and raised display elements.

Paired groups along a broad entrance

Big Max pumpkin

Mixed specialty pumpkins and gourds

A photographed mix of specialty pumpkins and gourds, with a large fruit as an anchor.

A textured heirloom grouping

A photographed entrance display built from several pumpkin sizes, white fruit and specialty varieties.

A compact entrance with mixed pumpkins

Decide whether you need a focal point, a low table accent or carving space. Start with one main pumpkin, then add smaller pieces only if the arrangement needs them. For cooking, choose a confirmed food variety and keep it separate from decorative treatments.

Give each pumpkin a job

Filter by use, color and size, then compare two to four candidates. The listed weight is a growing range, not a promise about the fruit on sale. Bring the actual width and height of your available space when you shop.

Read the atlas as a comparison

Look at the wall, door, tablecloth or shelf behind the display. Cream pumpkins stand out against a dark door; orange warms a pale wall. Choose one main color and repeat a quieter accent rather than buying every available shade.

Choose the background first

A round pumpkin, a flatter ribbed fruit and a mini can create variation without many accessories. Put them side by side before deciding on quantities. If the shapes look busy, remove one piece or keep the colors closer together.

Vary the outline

Save the look you need: color, approximate size and role. If a named cultivar is unavailable, compare a fruit with those qualities. Check its actual condition and intended use; a decorative substitute does not establish the same culinary or growing characteristics.

Make a substitute list

Start with the job, then compare the fruit rather than shopping by a variety name alone.

Choose a size and a color palette

Turn the fruit carefully and inspect the base as well as the visible side. Avoid cracks, cuts, sunken areas, soft spots and signs of leakage. A pleasing shape does not compensate for damaged skin.

Look at more than the front

Support the base when lifting. Treat the stem as part of the pumpkin rather than a carrying handle. For a large fruit, plan the lift and route before you buy it; an oversized specimen may need more than one person to move safely.

Carry the fruit, not the handle

Catalogue weights describe a range, not the fruit in your basket. Check its real width and height against the display area and door movement. A pair of smaller pumpkins is often easier to place than one oversized fruit.

Choose for the actual space

For cooking, choose a confirmed food variety from a suitable supplier and keep it out of the decorative treatment workflow. Do not infer edibility from a white, green or orange color, a photo or a general label such as ornamental gourd.

Be clear about the intended use

A quick check for damage is more useful than finding a perfectly matching shape.

Choose a good pumpkin before you decorate

Open the door fully and trace the movement of drawers, chairs and curtains. Mark the walking route with removable paper. Plan the decoration in the space left over, not in the area people need to use. Check local access requirements where relevant.

Mark what must stay clear

Record the usable surface width, front-to-back depth and any height limit. For a shelf or windowsill, check the support and intended load before adding heavy fruit. Never balance a pumpkin on a narrow edge or balcony railing.

Measure width and depth

Cut rough paper shapes matching the actual fruit widths, or use the dimensions you plan to check at the shop. Arrange these with the tray or pot already in place. Leave room to lift each fruit for a condition check.

Try paper footprints

An idea’s suggested width is an editorial starting point. It does not include every door swing or circulation requirement and it does not measure your pumpkins. If the template does not fit, remove an accessory, choose smaller fruit or change the location.

Read suggested widths correctly

Walk past with a bag, pull out the dining chairs and open the door again. Check the view while seated and after dark. Record the usable width and depth in the planner, then adjust the item list before purchasing.

Test the arrangement in use

Turn a doorway, shelf or table into a usable display area with a few simple checks.

Measure the space before buying

Check for trays, cloths, pots and battery lights at home before adding new accessories. In the planner, mark an item as owned only when you can actually use it. Owned pieces stay in the preparation list while their purchase cost is excluded.

Inventory the useful pieces

Enter the price per listed item and check whether the shop sells individually or by a bundle. Convert a bundle price to the matching unit before entering it. Choose one currency for the whole plan; the tool does not convert exchange rates.

Price the real quantity

Use the additional-cost field for delivery and other relevant costs not already included in item prices. Keep a tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive approach consistent. A missing price is unknown, not free; resolve unpriced rows before treating the total as a complete estimate.

Include the less visible costs

First remove duplicate accessories, then reduce the number of accent minis, then consider a smaller main fruit. Keep the tray or protection your particular surface needs. Update quantities and prices after every change rather than relying on the original template total.

Reduce in a useful order

Save locally for another visit, download JSON for a portable copy or print the list for shopping. Keep private details out of share links. At the shop, compare actual size and condition with the plan and update unavailable items before buying.

Take the plan with you

Count what you own, price what you need and make the final choice before checkout.

Build a shopping list that fits your budget

Put the main fruit slightly to one side on a dry, level surface. Walk back and look from the usual approach. Move the pumpkin before adding accessories; a better starting position often solves the composition without buying anything else.

Place the largest piece first

Use a smaller fruit or an existing plant as a supporting shape. Keep pumpkins individually supported instead of relying on a tall stack. The aim is variation in height, not maximum height. If a piece rocks, change the arrangement.

Add a different height beside it

Repeat a color, a curve or a material in two places: an orange mini beside the main orange fruit, or linen under cream pumpkins. Keep the rest quiet. A single repeated detail can connect objects that differ in shape.

Repeat one visual detail

Separate pieces enough to see their outlines and reach their bases. On a dining table, sit down to check the view across the table and leave room for dishes. On a shelf, keep items behind the front edge and away from heat.

Leave visible space

Photograph the arrangement from where people will see it. Remove one accessory and compare. Keep the simpler version if it reads more clearly. Save the final materials in the planner so next season begins with a useful list rather than a vague memory.

Edit from the normal viewpoint

A focal point, a supporting shape and some empty space are enough to begin.

Build a balanced display with fewer pieces

A whole pumpkin has a rind that separates the flesh from the environment. Cracks, cuts and bruises create places where decay can begin. For an uncarved display, start with intact fruit and handle it without damaging the skin.

An intact skin is part of the protection

Once you cut into a pumpkin, exposed tissue needs different care from intact fruit. Plan carving close to the occasion rather than expecting the same keeping quality as a whole pumpkin. Use a battery light for a decorative glow.

Carving changes the job

A pumpkin that has been carved and left out as a display should not be eaten, even if it does not look rotten. Decide before decorating which fruit is for cooking and which is for display. Keep the two uses separate.

Do not turn a carved display into dinner

Temperature, rain, direct sun, damage and handling all affect the condition of individual fruit. This atlas does not promise a fixed number of days. Check the base, the stem area and any cut surface regularly.

There is no universal countdown

An intact rind and an opened pumpkin need different expectations and handling.

Whole or carved: start with the difference

Start with a simple outline with broad openings and enough rind between cuts. Draw on paper first and check how it will read from a distance. For a family activity, offer paper patterns or painting for anyone not handling cutting tools.

Choose the effect before the tools

Use a stable table, good lighting and a protective surface that will not slide. Follow the carving tool’s instructions. An adult handles sharp tools and supervises children. Work away from the hand holding the fruit and stop if the pumpkin slips.

Set up a steady work area

Keep a bowl for removed material and a cloth for the work surface. Separate the carving tools from food preparation. Treat the finished pumpkin as a display item and do not plan to cook it after it has been left out.

Prepare for mess and cleanup

Choose an LED light intended for the setting and follow its instructions. Keep battery compartments secured and small batteries away from children and pets. Choose an outdoor-rated unit where needed; a roof alone does not make an indoor light weatherproof.

Use a suitable battery light

Put the finished piece on a dry, stable base away from the walking route. Check visibility after dark without trailing cables. Carve near the occasion, inspect exposed surfaces regularly and remove the display if it softens, leaks or develops mold.

Place it and check again

Prepare the work area and lighting before opening the pumpkin.

Plan a simple carving and lighting session

Loose paper leaves and a washable tray can leave a pumpkin intact. Painting, glue, glitter and other coatings create a different material combination. Label the finished fruit as decorative and do not mix it back into food preparation.

No-carve covers different approaches

Choose materials for the setting and the people using them. Follow paint and adhesive instructions, including ventilation, drying and age guidance. Supervise children and let an adult handle sharp tools. Craft materials are not made safe for food by a no-carve label.

Follow the material instructions

A tray, cloth or loose reusable decoration makes it easier to separate materials after the season. Keep paper under cover and remove it if it becomes wet. Avoid small loose pieces where children or animals can reach them.

Use removable pieces when possible

Remove the decorative parts before disposal. Painted, glued or glittered fruit may not belong in an organics collection. Ask the local collection provider what it accepts; do not assume that every pumpkin can go in the same compost stream.

Check disposal locally

Choose the decorative treatment first, then keep food fruit on a separate path.

Paint, paper & the food boundary

Reduce direct sun and keep the fruit out of rain. A covered area can make the display easier to maintain, but check what actually happens during a storm. Wind-driven rain may reach a corner that looks sheltered on a dry day.

Choose shelter before accessories

Lift individual fruit carefully to check the contact area. Dry trays and surfaces after rain; do not leave a pumpkin sitting in collected water. Avoid enclosing the arrangement in a way that traps moisture around the fruit.

Keep an eye on the base

Check the local weather and move the display to a suitable sheltered place when freezing conditions threaten. A seasonal display is movable: it does not need to remain in the same position at the cost of damaged fruit.

Watch changing conditions

There is no single household treatment in this atlas that guarantees a storage lifetime. Avoid mixing cleaning products or adding a chemical treatment just because a social post promises a longer-lasting pumpkin. Follow any product instructions and keep cooking fruit separate.

Skip the miracle-preservation claim

A sheltered position and a dry base make condition checks easier.

Find the right spot: sun, rain & cold

Flattened, ribbed pumpkins are often used in layered autumn displays. The actual base and contact surface matter more than the variety name. Test individual fruit on a level surface and choose a loose grouping if they wobble.

Shape is a starting point

A low arrangement is easier to keep steady than a tall column. Put the broadest stable fruit at the bottom, do not rest weight on a stem and stop if pieces roll or need improvised balancing. This is a design suggestion, not a structural load assessment.

Keep the center of gravity low

Leave the full door swing and the normal walking route free. Handrails, steps and thresholds must remain usable. The planner does not certify local access or building requirements, so check the actual setting before placing fruit.

Protect the route through the space

Put two contrasting pumpkins beside each other with a mini in front. You can create variation in height with different fruit sizes without placing one on top of another. Recheck after wind, rain or people moving nearby.

Choose grouping when in doubt

Flat fruit can be visually stackable without making every arrangement stable.

A lower, steadier kind of stack

Use a regular moment, such as opening the door, to look for pooled water, shifted objects and changes in the fruit. Check again after rain or wind. Gently lift each fruit when needed to see the hidden contact area rather than inspecting only the front.

Check when you pass

Move sound fruit onto a dry, suitable base and empty collected water. Dry the tray and the supporting surface before resetting the group. Check whether plant watering or wind-driven rain is the cause; change the position if the same spot keeps getting wet.

Water under the display

Remove the affected fruit from the arrangement and keep it out of food preparation. Separate reusable accessories, then clean the surface using a product appropriate for that material and its instructions. Recheck neighboring fruit. A photograph is not enough to diagnose the cause.

A soft area, leak or mold

Lower the arrangement and put each fruit on a level base. Remove unstable risers and move lightweight paper or cloth to shelter if wind shifts them. Restore the walking route first; appearance comes after secure placement and normal access.

Rocking, rolling or loose materials

Check the weather and move the group if freezing conditions, strong wind or rain threaten the setting. Remove lights according to their instructions. Keep a small record of changes to your plan; it helps you choose a more suitable location next time.

Prepare for the next day

Look at the base, the fruit and the route through the space; act on what you can see.

A quick check for everyday display problems

A confirmed cooking pumpkin that stayed intact and was handled appropriately is a different case from a carved outdoor display. Do not eat carved display fruit, painted fruit, fruit with decay or fruit with an uncertain identity.

Start with what happened to the fruit

A display image cannot show the full handling history, contamination or interior condition. If fruit has bruises, soft or sunken areas, cuts, leakage or mold, keep it out of food preparation. Appearance alone does not establish that an unknown gourd is edible.

Do not judge safety by a pretty photo

Put trays, cloths, pots and battery lights away for another season. Remove paint-bearing decorations, glue, glitter and plastic pieces before deciding what to do with the fruit. Do not offer treated decorative fruit as animal feed.

Separate the reusable parts

Check whether your council or waste provider accepts untreated pumpkins in a food-waste or garden-organics service. Acceptance of seeds, coatings and other materials varies. Keep fruit and decorations in the right streams rather than assuming a universal disposal method.

Follow the local collection rules

The right next step depends on identity, handling, condition and decoration.

Marina Di Chioggia

Field notes

A few more to meet

Black Bear

Long Island Cheese

Polar Bear